Rafael Devers continued to look lost at the plate on Monday, and some crazy stats have accompanied the Boston Red Sox slugger’s horrific start to the season. One of the latest is equal parts embarrassing and impressive.
Devers struck out three more times in Boston’s 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. That brought his total to 15 strikeouts on the season through just five games.
Devers is now 0-for-19 on the year with four walks in an RBI.
With his 15 strikeouts through five games, Devers now has the same number of strikeouts that legendary Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn had during the entire 1995 season. Gwynn played in 135 games for the San Diego Padres that year.
In 1995, Tony Gwynn had 15 strikeouts in 585 AB. In 2025, Rafael Devers has 15 strikeouts in 19 AB. pic.twitter.com/8DgDFE4dWZ
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) March 31, 2025
Gwynn, who was one of the greatest hitters of all time, hardly ever failed to put the ball in play. He also struck out just 14 times in 111 games during the 1999 season. While the stats highlight just how historically bad Devers has been, they also show what an incredible hitter Gwynn was.
Devers has already set some embarrassing records this season, and there is no end to his struggles in sight. He has been Boston’s best hitter in recent years, but he clearly needs to make some serious adjustments.
One interesting theory might help explain why Devers just cannot seem to get the bat on the ball.
