On Monday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reported that the Boston Red Sox are calling up prospect Ceddanne Rafaela.
Rafaela was an electric and intriguing prospect back in 2021. Then, he emerged as one of the top prospects -- not only in the Sox system, but in the entire league in 2022. This season has featured more dominance from Rafaela.
The centerfielder/shortstop started the year in Double-A. There, he actually struggled for a bit to start the season. Things heated up quickly, though. By the end of June, Rafaela had made his way to Triple-A.
Instead of needing some time to adjust, Rafaela came out of the gates firing and never slowed down. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he's slashing .302/.349/.520 with 31 doubles, three triples, and 20 home runs. The right-handed hitter has driven in 79 runs, scored 80 more, and stolen 36 bases.
The knock on Rafaela has been his patience at the plate. He has elite bat-to-ball skills, but tends to swing at questionable pitches. However, he's still getting on base and crushing mistakes. His talent can't be denied, even with that one issue.
Red Sox call up Ceddanne Rafaela
Ceddanne Rafaela is an electric factory. That's the best way to describe him. He brings elite defense in center field with a phenomenal arm. Rafaela has top-tier speed, which will lead to a lot of movement on the basepaths.
His bat has shocking amounts of power, as shown by Rafaela's last two seasons or 20/20 ball.
Rafaela is mainly a centerfielder. That's where he'll win his Gold Gloves. However, he's shown elite defense at shortstop, and the Red Sox have made an effort to give him playing time there sporadically in the last two seasons.
Back in 2021, Rafaela was playing second and third base as well. Since being promoted above Single-A, they've phased that out. That shows how talented he is defensively, though. The Red Sox felt comfortable moving him everywhere and plugging in a great glove. However, his defense in center field started to overshadow everything else, and it stuck.
It's unclear how long Rafaela will be up for. It could be temporary, with Jarren Duran on the IL and Wilyer Abreu on Paternity Leave. That being said, this could be the start of Rafaela being a full-time member of the Boston Red Sox for a long time.
There's really nothing else to say. Enjoy the human highlight reel you'll see on a national stage now. Ceddanne. Chipper. Nicasio. Marte. Rafaela. He's no longer your favorite prospect's favorite prospect. He's now your favorite player's favorite player.