Rafael Devers Brought the Power to San Francisco – Now the Giants Need Him to Cut Down the Strikeouts

When the San Francisco Giants pulled off a blockbuster deal last June to bring Rafael Devers over from Boston in a five-player trade, it was clear they were going all-in on adding a star-caliber bat to the heart of their lineup. And make no mistake – Devers delivered plenty of impact. The left-handed slugger brought his trademark power to the Bay, launching 20 home runs and driving in 51 runs in just 395 plate appearances following the trade.

But amid the pop, there’s one trend that jumps off the page – and not in a good way. Devers’ strikeout rate spiked to 29.4% with San Francisco, a significant jump from his career average of 22.0%. For a Giants lineup that already leans a little too heavily on high-strikeout hitters, that’s a number the team simply can’t afford to see stick around.

The Numbers Behind the Power

Let’s be clear: Devers wasn’t a bust by any means. His post-trade slash line of .236/.347/.460 translated to a 126 wRC+, meaning he was still producing well above league average.

He continued to hit for power with a .224 ISO – nearly identical to the .232 mark he posted in Boston before the trade. That kind of consistency in power output is a good sign, especially considering the change in leagues and ballparks.

But it’s also true that his overall offensive numbers took a step back after the move. With the Red Sox, Devers was putting up a 146 wRC+ in 334 plate appearances – a clear notch above what he managed in San Francisco.

Part of that dip can be chalked up to a drop in BABIP, which fell from .322 in Boston to .294 with the Giants. That’s not a massive shift, but it’s enough to chip away at his average.

And when you dig into his expected batting average – which sat at .234 – it suggests he wasn’t necessarily unlucky. He was, more or less, getting the results his contact quality warranted.

The Strikeout Spike: A Red Flag

So what’s behind the strikeout surge? Interestingly, Devers’ in-zone contact rate – how often he makes contact on pitches in the strike zone – didn’t really fall off.

In fact, it actually ticked up slightly after the trade. That’s what makes the jump in strikeouts so puzzling.

The real issue seems to lie in his approach. With the Red Sox, Devers swung at 73.1% of pitches in the zone.

After joining the Giants, that number dropped to 66.9%. That’s a significant drop in aggressiveness on hittable pitches – and when you’re letting strikes go by, you’re putting yourself in more two-strike counts, which naturally leads to more strikeouts.

And this wasn’t just a Devers problem. The Giants, as a team, have developed a reputation for being overly passive at the plate. Whether it’s a product of the team’s hitting philosophy, coaching, or simply the personalities of the hitters themselves, the result has been too many called strikes and too few balls put in play.

A Fixable Flaw

The good news? This is a fixable issue.

Devers isn’t chasing pitches out of the zone at a concerning rate, and his bat speed and power are still very much intact. What he needs – and what the Giants need from him – is a return to a more aggressive mindset on pitches in the zone.

That’s where the new coaching staff comes in. Helping Devers get back to attacking strikes the way he did in Boston could go a long way toward cutting down that strikeout rate and unlocking another level of production. If he can find that balance between patience and aggression – staying selective, but not passive – the Giants could have one of the most dangerous hitters in the league anchoring their lineup.

Devers is already a key piece of San Francisco’s offense. But if he can tighten up his approach and get that strikeout rate back in line with his career norms, he has the potential to be a true game-changer in 2026.