Rafael Devers Bio
Rafael Devers Calcaño, known by the nickname Carita, is a Dominican professional baseball infielder and designated hitter for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his major league career with the Boston Red Sox in 2017 and was a member of the Red Sox team that won the 2018 World Series. Devers is a three-time MLB All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner at third base. After agreeing to a long-term contract extension with Boston, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in June 2025.
Early Life and Background
Rafael Devers Calcaño was born on October 24, 1996, in Sánchez Ramírez Province, in the Dominican Republic. He is the son of Rafael Devers Sr. and Lucrecia Garcia, who raised him in a baseball-rich Caribbean culture where young players are routinely scouted from a very early age. As a child, Devers was given the nickname Carita, meaning baby face, because he was so frequently happy and smiling. That nickname later appeared on his jersey during MLB’s 2019 Players’ Weekend.
Devers grew up immersed in the Dominican game, playing street baseball and local amateur ball before attracting attention from international scouts. By his mid-teens, he had already developed the left-handed swing that scouts described as advanced for his age. He signed with the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent on August 9, 2013, when he was just sixteen years old, agreeing to a $1.5 million deal and ranking sixth among the top international prospects that year.
Path to Baseball
Devers made his professional debut on May 31, 2014, with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox, batting .467 with a .800 slugging percentage in his first eight games. His performance across two rookie levels that year led to a Gulf Coast League championship and a place on the 2014 GCL Postseason All-Stars team. In 2015, he joined the Low-A Greenville Drive, earned a South Atlantic League All-Star selection, and represented the Red Sox in the All-Star Futures Game.
In 2016, Devers participated in Boston’s spring training and was promoted to High-A Salem, where he was rated the Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect and No. 14 overall by MLB.com. He opened 2017 with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, hitting .300 with 18 home runs in 77 games before a brief stint at Triple-A Pawtucket. That rapid climb through the minors set the stage for his July 2017 promotion to the major leagues.
Rafael Devers Career
Early Career (2017)
Devers was promoted to the Boston Red Sox on July 24, 2017, five days after the team released Pablo Sandoval. Two days later, he collected his first major league hit, a home run off Andrew Moore of the Seattle Mariners, becoming the youngest Red Sox player to homer since Tony Conigliaro in 1965. He later connected off Aroldis Chapman at 102.8 mph, the fastest pitch hit for a home run since MLB began tracking velocity in 2008, and he started a triple play at third base against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Across 58 regular-season games in 2017, Devers batted .284 with 10 home runs and 30 runs batted in (RBI) while playing third base. In the playoffs, he homered in Game 3 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Houston Astros and hit an inside-the-park home run in Game 4, becoming the youngest MLB player to hit one in the postseason. He finished the ALDS batting .364 with two home runs and five RBI.
World Series Champion (2018)
Devers opened 2018 as Boston’s regular third baseman and hit his first career grand slam on April 18 off Tyler Skaggs of the Los Angeles Angels. He added a second grand slam on June 30 off Sonny Gray of the New York Yankees, going 5-for-5 and becoming the youngest player to hit a grand slam in a Red Sox–Yankees game. Despite three separate injured-list stints, he finished the regular season with 21 home runs and 66 RBI in 121 games.
In the postseason, Devers hit a go-ahead three-run homer in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Houston Astros, sending Boston to the World Series. In Game 4 of the Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he became the youngest player with a go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning or later of a World Series game since Édgar Rentería in 1997. The Red Sox won the series in five games, giving Devers his first championship title.
All-Star Seasons (2019–2022)
Devers produced a breakout 2019, batting .311 with 54 doubles, 32 home runs, and 115 RBI, while leading the American League in doubles and the major leagues with 90 extra-base hits and 359 total bases. He set a Red Sox record for home runs by a third baseman in a season, finishing 12th in AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.
After a shortened 2020 campaign, Devers returned in 2021 to bat .279 with 38 home runs and 113 RBI, earning his first All-Star selection and his first Silver Slugger Award. In 2022, he was voted an AL starter at third base by the fans and finished with 27 home runs and 88 RBI. Across this run, he was named a finalist for the Hank Aaron Award, the Silver Slugger Award, and the All-MLB Team.
Contract Year and Silver Slugger (2023)
On January 11, 2023, Devers agreed to a ten-year, $313.5 million contract extension that began in the 2024 season. He played 153 games in 2023, batting .271 with 33 home runs and 100 RBI, and earned his second Silver Slugger Award at third base. He also added his name to the franchise record book with 1,000 career hits and a memorable streak of home runs in six consecutive games in 2024.
San Francisco Giants Era (2025–Present)
After the Red Sox signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman in February 2025, Devers initially refused a position change before agreeing to move into a designated hitter role. He began the year 0-for-21 before earning American League Player of the Week honors in May and hitting his first career walk-off home run against the Atlanta Braves. His final hit as a Red Sox player, a home run off Max Fried of the New York Yankees on June 15, marked his 500th career extra-base hit.
On June 15, 2025, Boston traded Devers to the San Francisco Giants for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello. He debuted for the Giants two days later, hit his first home run as a Giant off Brayan Bello on June 21, and made his first career appearance at first base in July. He finished 2025 with 35 home runs and 109 RBI across 163 games, ranking third in MLB in walks and ninth in on-base percentage.
Driving Style and Strengths
Devers is known for a smooth, powerful left-handed swing and an exceptional ability to drive the ball to all fields. He has consistently ranked among the league leaders in extra-base hits, doubles, and total bases, while drawing walks at a high rate. His bat-to-ball skills and on-base discipline allow him to thrive in run-producing situations, even when shifting between third base, designated hitter, and first base.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Devers’ most memorable moments are his 2018 go-ahead RBI in the World Series, his six-hit game against the Cleveland Indians in 2019, and his historic streak of six consecutive games with a home run in May 2024. He also became the youngest MLB player to hit an inside-the-park home run in the postseason, and in 2023 he joined rarefied company with a second Silver Slugger Award.
Rafael Devers Career Wins
Rafael Devers has built a résumé that includes a World Series championship, three All-Star selections, and two Silver Slugger Awards. He has consistently delivered 20-plus home run seasons since 2018 and reached the 100-RBI mark multiple times, establishing himself as one of the most productive run producers of his generation.
Major League Highlights
Devers won the 2018 World Series with the Boston Red Sox, helping the franchise capture its fourth title in the twenty-first century. He earned All-Star honors in 2021, 2022, and 2024, and captured Silver Slugger Awards in 2021 and 2023. Across 163 games in 2025, he combined for 35 home runs and 109 RBI split between Boston and San Francisco.
Minor League Achievements
Devers helped the Gulf Coast League Red Sox win their second championship in 2014, hitting a game-winning homer in the playoffs. He was named a 2014 GCL Postseason All-Star, earned a South Atlantic League All-Star selection with Greenville in 2015, and represented the Red Sox in the All-Star Futures Game the same year. He also set a Gulf Coast League record for slugging by an everyday Red Sox player dating back to at least 2005.
Rafael Devers Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rafael Devers Sr. and Lucrecia Garcia, his parents, raised him in Sánchez Ramírez Province in the Dominican Republic. His cousin, José Devers, plays in the Atlanta Braves organization, extending a family connection to professional baseball. Devers’ upbringing in the Dominican Republic, a region famous for producing major league stars, played a central role in his path to professional baseball.
Personal Life
Devers is the father of two daughters, and he often speaks about the importance of family in his life. He maintains close ties to the Dominican Republic, where he grew up and developed his game. His longtime nickname Carita, given to him as a smiling child, remains a familiar part of his public persona.
2025 Season Performance
Devers’ 2025 season was defined by a turbulent but ultimately productive year that included a position change and a midseason trade. After opening the year as Boston’s designated hitter, he posted a .272/.401/.504 slash line with 15 home runs in 73 games for the Red Sox before being dealt to the San Francisco Giants on June 15. The trade followed his refusal to play first base after Triston Casas’s injury and capped a difficult stretch of negotiations with the Red Sox front office.
With the Giants, Devers settled into the heart of the San Francisco lineup, batting .236/.347/.460 with 20 home runs in 90 games while learning a new organization on the fly. He debuted at first base in July and later earned National League Player of the Week honors in early September after a dominant series against the Chicago Cubs. Across the full 2025 season, he played in 163 games, becoming the first MLB player to appear in that many contests since Justin Morneau in 2008.
Devers finished 2025 ranked third in MLB in walks (112), fifth in strikeouts (192), ninth in RBI (109), and ninth in on-base percentage. His power production and on-base skills remained elite despite the upheaval of a midseason trade, reinforcing his status as a cornerstone of the Giants’ lineup heading into 2026 and beyond.