The panic meters were flashing, the whispers were growing louder, and the vultures were circling. A brutal start at the plate had the doubters ready to sound the alarms. But just when the skeptics thought they had a story, Rafael Devers rewrote it himself—on his own terms. No desperate adjustments, no outside advice, just pure confidence. And now, after silencing the noise, he has a message for those who doubted him.

Rafael Devers has spoken. After being criticized for getting any hits and with the Red Sox on a losing streak, Rafael Devers stood up for his teammates and himself when questioned. After the Red Sox beat the Orioles on the 3rd of April, Rafael Devers took some time to talk to the press and was questioned about the mentality of the team before the game.

To this, Rafael Devers had some words for the haters who had already ruled them out. Devers said, “I know there was some negativity around the team with those 4 losses but everybody has done their jobs. We know the type of pitcher Garrett is, Casas and Rafaela they are doing their job, and we know that everything is going to change.”

It looks like the only worried people about Devers and the Red Sox not winning were other people except Devers. He says that great players like Garrett Crochet and Kristian Campbell in the team are looking stronger. And with players like Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela doing their jobs, it was going to be okay.

Not only Casas and Rafaela, but Rafael Devers himself had a very good outing in that game. For a guy who was criticized for not getting any hits, Devers slammed the door shut by getting 2 hits in his 4 at-bats. He even brought in a run and helped the Red Sox beat the Orioles 3-0.

So much for the crisis. Devers didn’t just snap his slump—he made sure the Red Sox snapped their skid, too. While the critics were busy writing their eulogies, he and his teammates were busy proving them wrong. If this is what a “struggling” Devers looks like, maybe the doubters should start worrying about their own batting average instead.

Jonathan Papelbon says Rafael Devers needs to “trim fat”

The Boston Red Sox didn’t expect Rafael Devers to start the season like this—hitless, struggling, and now the target of some vintage baseball brutality. When you’re a star slugger, patience is short, and excuses are even shorter. But instead of tweaking his swing, Devers finds himself dodging criticism about his weight. The real question is, can he silence his critics with his bat, or will the noise only get louder?

As if the outside critics aren’t enough, former Red Sox legends are taking aim at Rafael Devers now. Jonathan Papelbon did not sit back and watch his team take L’s with Devers not doing anything. During an interview, he said, “You trim fat, pigs squeal. That’s what you’re looking for – your pigs to squeal. They hit home runs.”

He says that Devers not only needs to improve on his batting but also on his physique. He says Devers needs to work on conditioning his body to get some home runs and with his fitness improved, he could possibly take back his position at third base.

If Devers wants to silence the critics, there’s only one way—start hitting, and start hitting hard. Fitness advice from Papelbon might sting, but nothing shuts people up faster than home runs. The Red Sox need their star slugger to step up, otherwise, the only squealing will come from Boston fans watching another season slip away. What do you think Devers needs better physique?