It was the middle of June -- almost halfway through the 2016 minor league season -- and the perfect time, Class A Salem manager Joe Oliver thought, to deliver a pep talk to his best player.

Rafael Devers had overcome a horrendous April, the kind of month that befalls every player sooner or later but nevertheless betrayed the reputation of a can't-miss Boston Red Sox prospect. After bottoming out at .132 on April 29, Devers hiked his batting average by 100 points in seven weeks and was playing reliably solid defense at third base. Yet the Red Sox kept him in Salem while promoting fellow blue-chippers Andrew Benintendi, Yoan Moncada and Mauricio Dubon to Double-A Portland.

No matter how hard Devers tried to hide his disappointment, Oliver could tell his player felt like the kid who gets left back in grade school. Devers, who didn't turn 20 until Oct. 24, was the second-youngest player in the Carolina League and had a mouth full of braces to prove it.

"I thought it was a good time to call him in and say, 'Don't change a thing. The organization recognizes how hard you've worked and how well you've played, so just keep doing the same thing to continue to get better, and it's going to pay off in the long run,'" Oliver said recently by phone. "It seemed like it settled him down quite a bit because it can be frustrating when you feel like you're putting up really good numbers and everybody else is moving but you."

Sometimes, though, there's validation in staying put. Devers is the last top prospect standing in a Red Sox farm system that has been gutted by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski for the cause of trying to win another World Series as quickly as possible. After Benintendi's full-time graduation to left field in Fenway Park, a series of trades ensued that shipped out center fielder Manuel Margot, infielder Javier Guerra, prized pitchers Anderson Espinoza and Michael Kopech, Dubon and even Moncada.

It isn't a coincidence. After completing the Dec. 6 blockbuster for ace lefty Chris Sale, Dombrowski cited Devers' presence as a reason the Red Sox were able to stomach sending Moncada to the Chicago White Sox. And it's easy to imagine Devers in a year or two joining the young core of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Benintendi, especially because third base could be a position of need if Pablo Sandoval is unable to bounce back from a dismal 2015 season. Sandoval had shoulder surgery in May and continues to deal with weight issues.

In July, ESPN's Keith Law ranked Devers as the Red Sox's third-best prospect and No. 7 overall behind Benintendi (No. 3) and Moncada (No. 5). It would be an upset of Trump-defeats-Clinton proportions if Devers doesn't lead the Sox's list this year by default, if not based on his ability.

From the beginning of May through the end of last season, Devers batted .310 with 28 doubles, 8 triples, 9 home runs and an .831 OPS in 455 plate appearances -- numbers that compare favorably to another player who recently spent most of his age-19 season in Salem. In 2012, Bogaerts hit .302 with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 15 homers and an .883 OPS in 435 plate appearances.

But Devers is so young that his future is still largely about projection. And the opinions of talent evaluators are wildly varied.

Although many Red Sox officials are bullish on Devers' potential, one scout from a rival American League team was lukewarm, describing him as "good, not great" and citing Sandoval as a best-case comparison. A National League scout classified Devers as having a “good bat but bad body" and said he's "not very athletic but can hit." But New York Mets minor league manager Luis Rojas said he was surprised by Devers' athleticism after working with him in winter ball for the past two years.

"You see his body, and he might not look very athletic, like a guy who's going to steal 10 bases in a season or even five," Rojas said. "But he moves a lot better than what you think."

At 6 feet, 195 pounds, Devers is stocky for his age. But he's agile, too, and most evaluators agree that his defense has made solid strides over the past year. Oliver said several opposing managers remarked last season that they were impressed with Devers' "internal clock," scout-speak for his knack for being on time with throws and rarely panicking regardless of where the ball is hit to him.

That said, Devers' bat will carry him to the big leagues. And considering he might be the youngest player in the Double-A Eastern League when the season begins, the Red Sox are unlikely to rush him.

The Red Sox felt comfortable fast-tracking Benintendi because he was uniquely refined after three seasons at the University of Arkansas. Moncada was rougher around the edges, and it showed after he was rushed to the big leagues in September. He was unable to quickly adapt to seeing a steady assortment of breaking pitches and struck out in nine consecutive at-bats.

Devers is more like Moncada. He's an aggressive free swinger with only 64 walks in 1,054 plate appearances over the past two seasons at Class A Greenville and Salem. Spending his age-20 season in Double-A should be challenging enough, with the real possibility that Devers will experience additional struggles before making the necessary adjustments.

That's what happened last April. In his second full pro season, Devers was playing in cold weather for the first time, to say nothing of facing older, more experienced pitchers. Oliver said Devers worked with hitting coach Nelson Paulino to shorten his swing, a change that enabled Devers to quickly get his bat through the zone.

"All of a sudden, he started getting some seeing-eye singles [one that goes right between two infielders] and some broken-bat hits that weren't falling for him the first month, and you could see, here comes the confidence," Oliver said. "Once he got a little more comfortable and started feeling like he belonged at that level and he could hit that pitching, he just took off."

Rojas saw similar progress from Devers over the past two years with Escogido, a winter ball team in the Dominican Republic. Rojas, son of former major leaguer Felipe Alou, calls Devers "special" for his ability to compete as one of the youngest players in the league.

"Eighteen years old and to handle himself like he did last year, I mean, it was definitely impressive," Rojas said. "Good hitter, solid approach, and the one thing that really catches your eye is his attitude. He's always smiling, no matter what happens. There's a lot to like in this player."

In June, Oliver reminded Devers about that. And if anything, Oliver said Devers "stepped to the forefront" in Salem after the more heralded Benintendi and Moncada moved on.

"It really helped him flourish as a go-to guy, as opposed to Moncada getting a lot of the attention or Benintendi getting a lot of the attention," Oliver said. "There was plenty of reason in numbers for him to move to Double-A, but I think it was better off served for him to feel more consistent for the second part of the season because of his struggles at the beginning."

Now, as the crown jewel in a strip-mined farm system, Devers really has a chance to shine, even if it takes a few more years.