Boston Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela stretches as fans watch during a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in North Port, Fla. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
One of Boston’s most promising prospects just got a lot closer, both literally and figuratively, to the big show.
Ceddanne Rafaela found out about his promotion from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Sunday. He’s now just one level and about 40 miles, or 45 minutes (without Mass Pike traffic) from Fenway Park.
It was somewhat surprising that Rafaela even began the season in Portland, after a standout performance in 2022 led to the organization’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year award (and Baseball America’s Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year), a spot on the 40-man roster, and his first major league spring training. Currently the organization’s No. 3 prospect, the Curaçao native broke out last season when he moved from the infield to center field and became a one-man highlight reel.
Rafaela’s defense is already described as Gold Glove-caliber; Double-A manager Chad Epperson made headlines last summer when he said that the young prospect’s fielding is already better than Mookie Betts’ had been at that level (Betts also moved from the infield to outfield at Double-A Portland). One Red Sox executive assessed that Rafaela’s defense is already major-league ready.
His speed is next-level, too. Last month, he stole six bases in a single game to set a franchise record, then stole three more in his next. He told reporters that 30 stolen bases was one of his goals for the season, and indeed, ascends to Triple-A having met that goal, exactly 30 steals under his belt.
“Defensively and on the bases, he’s showing all the skill that he has. Frankly, the skill that he has in those areas is probably beyond that level,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told the Herald at the end of May. “But we sent him there for a reason.”
A significant portion of said reason is plate discipline, which the Red Sox wanted Rafaela to be able to hone without the added stress of simultaneously adjusting to a higher level of play. Though his overall 20.6 percent strikeout rate (K%) and 5.26 percent walk rate (BB%) through 60 games in Double-A are virtually unchanged from the 19.8 percent K% and 5.1 percent BB% he put together over 71 games at the same level last season, he’s shown more patience at the plate recently. Over his last 34 games, he’s at an 18 percent K% and seven percent BB%.
Improvement is also apparent in his slash line. He’s hitting .364/.381/.584 this month, with an overall .294 average and .773 OPS this year.
At the end of May, Rafaela told the Herald, “It doesn’t matter where I start, it’s where I finish this year.”
He’s already closing out the first half of the season a level up from where he started. Who’s to say he won’t finish the year at Fenway?