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MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 21: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on June 21, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants have had a surplus of embarrassments in 2026–but none quite as big as what Rafael Devers just pulled.
In the ninth inning of a one-run ballgame where the Giants were trailing, Devers attempted to wave off a pinch runner.
Not only did he try to send the rookie running back to the dugout, but he simultaneously called out his manager in front of everyone.
That manager is Tony Vitello, a first-year MLB skipper who joined the league straight from college baseball.
Vitello surely wouldn’t have put up with such nonsense in his days at Tennessee, but there still hasn’t been much of a reaction.
After eventually succumbing to the pinch runner, Devers came back into the dugout and evaded a teammate trying to pat him on the back for the clutch walk that landed him on first base.
Devers’ little tantrum has one MLB analyst very riled up.
New York sportscaster Adam Schein was aghast at the events that unfolded before him.
“Speaking of embarrassments, how about Rafael Devers?” Schein mocked. “Looks like he might be one of the worst teammates on Earth. Did you see over the weekend!? He worked a walk, give him credit, 0-2 count, Devers gets on base. Works a walk, they’re trailing by a run. This is Rafael Devers–not exactly fleet of foot. And you see, San Francisco, they go to pinch run for him. And [he] says…no?”
Schein continued, “Devers gives them the Dikembe Mutumbo, not on my watch. Are you kidding me? How bad of a teammate could you be? I mean, Tony Vitello, say what you want about him. I understand that a lot of these players look at a guy who comes through the collegiate ranks, and they don’t have respect. What a joke!!! The Giants are 15 games under .500. They’re an unwatchable, unmitigated disaster. You can blame Devers, you can blame Vitello. You can blame Buster Posey; that’s where I would start, first and foremost. …
“Then he goes into the dugout finally, after he gets pinch run for, the player goes to slap him on the derriere, but he avoids him. He goes into the clubhouse. He’s moody. He’s sulking. And I think Devers is an amazing talent. We ripped Boston for the way they handled him. Ripped Boston for how they dealt with him. What a joke. …
“I mean, that is as losing a culture as you can have right now in San Francisco. And I thought Vitello might light a fire. I’ll tell you when I’m right, I’ll tell you when I’m wrong. That whole situation with this baseball team–they have to evaluate everything. There’s no excuse for the San Francisco Giants being this dysfunctional. They’re bad. They’re unwatchable. And can you imagine, you’re Rafael Devers? And you’ve done nothing since you’ve been in San Francisco? You have the nerve, the hutzpah, the audacity to show up a poor teammate who’s just doing his job and going to pinch run? It’s a one-run game!!! This is not exactly Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, or Vince Coleman on the bases! It’s Rafael Devers! Who runs like he has a piano on his back! I mean, how bad of a teammate could you be?”
Devers’ decision has lit up the baseball media world for all the wrong reasons.
Until the production soars, or the drama subsides, Devers will remain a problem San Francisco simply cannot ignore.
AJ Stone AJ Stone is a baseball writer for Heavy, covering MLB news and various trends. His work has also appeared on Redbird Rants, Inside Halos, District on Deck, and other digital outlets. With a focus on analytics, he aims to blend data with storytelling for an engaging experience for his readers. More about AJ Stone
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