{"id":154484,"date":"2026-02-20T12:09:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T12:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484"},"modified":"2026-02-20T12:09:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T12:09:21","slug":"rafael-devers-set-to-make-waves-in-first-full-giants-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Devers Set to Make Waves in First Full Giants Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church (27) slides to the turf after he caught a fly ball to centerfield for the out on San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (not shown) in the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. \/ USA TODAY NETWORK-USA TODAY NETWORK \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n

As Rafael Devers steps into spring training with the San Francisco Giants, there’s a palpable buzz around what his presence could mean for the team this season. After spending last year splitting time between Boston and San Francisco, Devers is now poised to be a central figure for the Giants throughout the entire 2026 campaign.<\/p>\n

Giants’ general manager, Zack Minasian, shared his excitement on KNBR\u2019s \u201cMurph and Markus,\u201d highlighting Devers’ potential impact. \u201cWe call him an aircraft carrier in the office,\u201d Minasian said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can carry your offense for stretches at a time. We\u2019re hoping our lineup depth means he won\u2019t have to do it all, but make no mistake, he\u2019s the big bat we\u2019ve been searching for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers’ stint with the Giants last season saw him play 90 games, posting a .236 batting average, a bit shy of his career .276. Minasian believes that a full season with the team will offer Devers the stability needed to thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur fans have embraced him, and that support means a lot. His teammates love him, and we\u2019re thrilled he\u2019s here,\u201d Minasian added.<\/p>\n

While Devers primarily filled the designated hitter role last year, 2026 could see him getting more starts at first base. Arriving early for spring training, he\u2019s been putting in extra fielding work with assistant coach Ron Washington.<\/p>\n

Minasian is optimistic, noting, \u201cRafi\u2019s improved a lot. He\u2019s agile, confident with his throws, and brings great energy and a big smile to the clubhouse.<\/p>\n

I think he\u2019s excited about first base, and we\u2019re going to see that translate into solid defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers\u2019 transition to first base marks a new chapter, especially after it was a sticking point with his former team, the Red Sox. However, with the Giants, there\u2019s a sense of harmony and opportunity. Plus, with Luis Arr\u00e1ez also in the mix, Devers won\u2019t have to shoulder all the defensive responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Offensively, the Giants hope the load won\u2019t fall entirely on Devers either. Yet, Minasian is confident in Devers\u2019 ability to step up if needed. With the season ahead, the Giants are ready to see just how far Devers can help carry them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church (27) slides to the turf after he caught a fly ball to centerfield for the out on San Francisco Giants… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":154485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nRafael Devers Set to Make Waves in First Full Giants Season - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rafael Devers Set to Make Waves in First Full Giants Season - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church (27) slides to the turf after he caught a fly ball to centerfield for the out on San Francisco Giants...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-20T12:09:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-58-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=154484\",\"name\":\"Rafael Devers Set to Make Waves in First Full Giants Season - 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