The San Francisco Giants are having a rocky start to the 2026 season, heading into their weekend series game against the Miami Marlins at 11-14 and just one 1.5 games out of last place in the ultra-competitive NL West.
A large part of the Giants’ struggles can be attributed to the slow start from star Rafael Devers, who is batting .230 with just two home runs, three doubles, and nine RBI, despite playing in every game this season. With a -0.5 WAR on Fangraphs and -0.7 on Baseball-Reference, there’s an argument for Devers as one of the worst players in the league thus far.
Per SFGATE, the first baseman has retreated from the limelight amid his slump and hasn’t spoken to the media since April 8, when he hit a three-run homer against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reported that Devers has “consistently avoided beat reporters” who have been attempting to interview him over the past two weeks.
“During batting practice Wednesday afternoon, he raced down the dugout stairs past this reporter without stopping, saying he had to go hit in an indoor cage,” Baggarly wrote. “Less than two minutes later, Devers exited the cage and disappeared back to the clubhouse.”
This isn’t the first time Devers has avoided the press in his career, with reports emerging last year that the Boston Red Sox had become frustrated with him avoiding NESN postgame interviews before trading him to San Francisco.
The Giants’ new skipper, Tony Vitello, who spent two decades at the collegiate level before making the jump to the big leagues this season, has perhaps had the opposite issue and shown a tendency to put his foot in his mouth with the media.
While Vitello is still getting adjusted to the bright lights, Devers is an established veteran, a star in the league, and the highest-paid member of the Giants’ organization. Regardless, both are leaders in the clubhouse, and the Giants will need them to take accountability in getting the ship righted in time to salvage the season.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.