Why Rafael Devers is most to blame for Giants’ rough start to 2026 season

The start of the 2026 season has not been kind to the San Francisco Giants whatsoever.

May is approaching, and the Giants have a worse record than the Colorado Rockies. At 13-17, the Gigantes are in last place in the NL West division and own the third-worst record in the National League. SF is currenlty in the middle of their second game of a doubleheader on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies; however, the contest is on a rain delay. The Phillies are one of two teams in the NL (New York Mets) with a worse record than the Giants.

There are a lot of players you can point the finger at for why the Giants are not seeing much success right now. The lineup has a lot of veteran talent in it, and it’s expected that they will finally break out this season. SF has been right around .500 for the last four seasons after they last won the NL West division.

Rafael Devers is at the top of the list of players you could blame for the lack of success. He is one of the league’s best hitters, but has not been able to follow through with that since he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Giants last season. Let’s take a deep dive into why.

Why Rafael Devers is most to blame for Giants’ rough start to 2026 season

First and foremost, Devers is having a very hard time connecting with the baseball. Entering Thursday’s doubleheader against the Phillies, he has two home runs and four doubles on the season. His advanced metrics (shown below) are telling a crazy story. What happened to his power?

The underlying numbers suggest that Devers won't bounce back anytime soon pic.twitter.com/2JY91FcKRb

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) April 30, 2026

Between the Sox and Giants, he hit 35 home runs in 2025 and smashed 28 in 2024. At some point, he will have to find his rhythm because right now, it does not seem like anything will change. It seems like Devers is trying to elevate the ball too often rather than just taking what the pitcher gives you and making the most of it. Baseball is a very hard sport, and most of the time, hitters need to focus on their mechanics to get out of a slump.

Devers’ poor play is really hurting the Giants right now. He owns a -0.9 WAR as he is hitting just .203 with a .530 OPS on the season. Tony Vitello has had to move him down in the lineup to 5th while he is in a slump.

There is a lot of talent on this roster for Vitello, a first-year manager who made the jump from college to the bigs. Devers is supposed to be the superstar hitter that nobody was worried about. That was the case for at least five seasons in Boston. However, Devers isn’t alone. Matt Chapman, Luis Arraez, Willy Adames, and Jung Hoo Lee are all proven players. Chapman, Arraez, and Lee are all getting on base at a respectable rate this season. Casey Schmitt is also hitting the ball very well and leading the team in home runs with four. Devers and his lack of hitting are holding the team back right now.

Devers has more at-bats than anyone on the roster but is 7th in runs scored, 6th in hits, 6th in extra-base hits, and 7th in total bases. It is remarkable how a player with that much talent is almost at a -1.0 WAR, and it isn’t even May yet.

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