Scorching-Hot Rafael Devers Joins Ted Williams in Elite Company

Rafael Devers is the first player to reach the 100-RBI plateau in 2019. 

The 22-year-old wrapped up his otherworldly week with a terrific Sunday, going 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs in the Boston Red Sox’s 13-7 thumping of the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

pic.twitter.com/uy5pdGumLq

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) August 18, 2019

Completing a three-game sweep of the lowly Orioles, the Red Sox won their fifth consecutive contest. They still trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games for the second AL Wild Card spot, but the monster production of Devers has made the Red Sox a must-watch.

Devers mashed his 27th homer of the season in Boston's win over Baltimore. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Devers is the first player to register 100-plus runs and RBIs in a season before age 23 since future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera did so in 2005. The only other Red Sox player in franchise history to accomplish this feat was the legendary Ted Williams.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously it feels good to be a part of that group,” Devers said after Sunday’s win. “But overall I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can whether it’s baserunning, playing defense, that’s what I’m more focused on is just trying to contribute as much as I can to help the team win ballgames.”

During Devers’ eight-game hitting streak, he is 20-for-37 with eight doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs with a 1.656 OPS.

Devers leads MLB in hits (167), extra-base hits (76), RBIs (101) and total bases (300). Ty Cobb is the only other player in history to lead the league in these categories in his age-22 season, dating back to 1909.

Batting .332—the third-best in MLB—Devers has a shot at winning the American League MVP. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is currently the favorite to nab the award. Trout leads the AL in homers (41) and his MLB-best WAR (8.2) is far higher than Devers’ mark of 5.2.

New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who leads MLB in batting (.339) and ranks third in hits (156), is another strong candidate to win MVP. He has the same WAR as Devers and has been unquestionably the best player on the Yankees, who hold the top record (83-43) in baseball.

Jakobi Meyers Emerging as Tom Brady's 'Favorite Target' in Camp

A rookie wide receiver has made a significant impact during the New England Patriots’ training camp. Undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers—not first-round selection N'Keal Harry—has emerged as the “favorite target” for quarterback Tom Brady.

Julian Edelman is sidelined with a thumb injury, allowing other receivers the chance to shine. Meyers has taken advantage of the opportunity. He has earned reps with the first team offense and could carve a role in the Patriots’ offense in 2019 if Josh Gordon remains suspended indefinitely.

Meyers has made a name for himself in training camp. (Mandy Lane/Boston Herald)

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound former North Carolina State wideout has been the talk of the town during most of the team’s practices. He grabbed 14-of-18 targets in 11-on-11 drills on Monday.

Meyers is a converted quarterback who switched to wide receiver before his sophomore year at N.C. State. He hauled in 92 receptions in 2018—the seventh-most in college football—for the Wolfpack during his senior season.

Not enough people are talking about NC State's Jakobi Meyers (@jkbmyrs5).

He isn't a big separator, but he catches everything. He's a top-5 WR in this class in drop rate and contested catch %.

He's a Jason Avant clone, IMO. Chain mover, sneaky red-zone threat and SO consistent. pic.twitter.com/XuAPGnCz3V

— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 30, 2019

Brady praised Meyers for seizing the moment during training camp.

                          

“He’s done a great job and he’s taken advantage of his opportunities,” Brady said. “I think that’s really what we try to stress to anybody. It really doesn’t matter — the football doesn’t care how old you are, whether you were drafted or not. The football doesn’t care how much experience you have. It just knows that when I let that ball go, it’s got to be in the hands of the guy who it’s intended for. If that happens to be him, it’s him. If it’s Julian, it’s Julian. Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter in football.”