Rafael Devers discusses his abysmal start at the plate for the Red Sox

The batter's box has not been Rafael Devers' friend through the first five games. The face of the Boston Red Sox took a lot of criticism for his lack of spring training availability, and thus far his bat has suffered (0-for-19 at the plate with 15 strikeouts). "Obviously I haven't been able to hit the ball but I feel good. I feel like my at-bats are getting better and better," said Devers through a translator. The current outlook for Devers is poor. Coming into the year, his attitude regarding being moved to designated hitter for new third baseman Alex Bregman was a concern. Now, the conversation has shifted to his batting and, apparently, his weight. https://twitter.com/985TheSportsHub/status/1907172902845173801 The question now becomes: How does he turn it around? Of course, it's the early days, but it's hard not to be slightly worried. He's a career .278 hitter with 200 home runs, but through just five games, he's already registered nearly 15 percent of his yearly strikeout average (about 101 strikeouts per year) and, again, no hits. "I'm trying to not hit that much. I try to focus on the game. I feel like when I hit too much I tend to think even more, so I would rather [try] to simplify things," Devers said about how he plans on straightening things out. Clearly, the discrepancy in numbers at the plate to begin 2025 compared to past years is a major concern. It seems that Devers even admits that a part of the struggles is mental. Regardless of the reasons behind the struggles, it cannot continue. Devers is the team's star and their highest paid guy. They need him to perform at the plate. For a season that had such high expectations, success hinges on many things, none more important than Rafael Devers' bat. To this point, his lack of contribution at the plate is a major reason why the team has begun the season with a 1-4 record and at the bottom of the AL East. Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.