Top Miami Marlins prospect Jose Devers ‘knows how to play.’ His MLB debut has arrived
Shortly after Jose Devers found out on Thursday that the Miami Marlins were adding him to their active roster and a dream could shortly become a reality, he made a phone call to a family member who understood what he was about to go through.
Rafael Devers, third baseman for the Boston Red Sox and Jose’s cousin, went through the same thing four years ago when he made his MLB debut in 2017.
Rafael Devers’ message, as relayed by Jose:
“Just play hard and do your thing. It’s the same game but a bit faster. You have to learn how to control it. The most important thing is enjoy the game. That’s it.”
Jose Devers, a 21-year-old out of the Dominican Republic and the No. 8 overall prospect in the Marlins’ organization according to MLB Pipeline, will now get his chance to enjoy the game.
He made his MLB debut Saturday in the Marlins’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, starting at second base and batting seventh.
Devers struggled at the plate, going 0 for 3 with three swinging strikeouts, but looked fine defensively before being replaced by Miguel Rojas in the ninth.
How many opportunities Devers will get for consistent playing time is to be determined. Devers was added to the active roster from the taxi squad after the team placed third baseman Brian Anderson on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Devers will primarily be a backup middle infielder and get spot reps spelling either Miguel Rojas or Jazz Chisholm Jr., the team’s primary shortstop and second baseman respectively.
“All I know,” Devers said Friday, “is I’m going to do my best, go out there and compete and do everything I can to keep improving and get better.”
The Marlins have noticed Devers’ improvements and maturation. He gained about 15 pounds during the offseason and is now listed at 174 pounds. Mattingly recalled Devers being “maybe 150 pounds soaking wet” when he joined the Marlins organization as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade in December 2017.
Devers steadily impressed in the minors. The left-handed hitter had a .322 batting average across three minor-league levels in 2019, the last year there was minor-league baseball (the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Devers was part of the Marlins’ alternate training site last season and was on the taxi squad during Miami’s 2020 playoff run and both road trips to begin the 2021 season.
“Jose’s going to be fine and give us good at-bats when he’s in there,” Mattingly said. “He knows how to play. I know he’s a young kid, but young kids that have played winter ball and things like that for the Dominican, they’re not afraid of anything over here, and they don’t seem to be too nervous. So Jose’s a baseball player, he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be a good player.”
MLB Pipeline’s scouting report says Devers has “the best bat-to-ball skills among Marlins prospects” but also noted he “needs to be more selective because he makes contact so easily that it cuts into his walk totals, reducing his ability to get on base and utilize his plus speed.”
“Power won’t ever be a big part of his game because he’s slender and has a relatively flat left-handed stroke,” the scouting report continues, “but he has added some strength and hit the ball harder than ever at the alt site, leading club officials to believe he might produce 12-15 homers per season.”
Marlins hitting coach Eric Duncan during spring training called Devers “a guy who really stood out. He doesn’t seem fazed. ... It doesn’t really matter the situation. He has a really slow heartbeat and is able to put quality at-bats together. He’s been one that’s been tremendous to watch.”
Defensively, Devers has primarily been a middle infielder and most likely projects to be a second baseman long-term, but the Marlins gave him reps at third base during spring training to add to his versatility.
“I feel comfortable at third base,” Devers said. “Obviously it’s not the same as the middle infield, but it’s something I’ve been working on.”
Game recap
Two home runs gave the Marlins the lead. Jon Berti tied the game with a solo shot in the seventh, and Jesus Aguilar hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth — his second in as many games. Corey Dickerson added an RBI triple in the ninth that scored Garrett Cooper and Berti drove in Dickerson on the next plate appearance with a sacrifice fly to cap a four-run ninths.
It backed up a strong night for Pablo Lopez, who gave up just one run on over six innings while striking out seven.
Anthony Bass and Dylan Floro threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings while Yimi Garcia gave up just one run (a solo home run to Mike Yastrzemski) to seal the win.
This story was originally published April 24, 2021 at 5:59 PM.
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