Late on Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox finally accomplished what their fans had been waiting for when they gave star third baseman Rafael Devers an 11-year, $331 million contract.
The Red Sox now have their superstar locked up for the next decade.
The Atlanta Braves have been doing a lot of what the Red Sox just did in recent months, offering massive contract extensions to players such as Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, Spencer Strider, Austin Riley, Michael Harris, and others.
MLB Network made a few comparisons to Riley and Devers, showing just how similar so many of their career stats are to each other.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 5, 2023
Of course, Riley did not receive the kind of payday that Devers got, but still landed himself a pretty hefty deal for 10 years and $212 million.
Devers is only a year older than Riley, having made his MLB debut in 2017.
His on-base percentage is just a few points higher than Riley’s, sitting at .342.
Riley’s career OPS sits at .507, while Devers’ OPS sits at .512.
These are only a few of the stats in which Devers and Riley are seemingly neck and neck over the course of their careers.
The only real difference is the amount of money Devers is receiving from the Red Sox as opposed to what Riley is receiving from the Braves, which is still a pretty good haul, but isn’t anywhere close to what Devers is making.
Regardless, here are two players that have become franchise cornerstones and still have bright futures ahead of them.
NEXT: Graphic Shows Another Massive Braves Bargain Deal