The Boston Red Sox have a history of winning awards, from batting titles to MVP, Cy Young, and Sophmore of the Year. So, just what is the Sophmore of the Year Award?
The award, begun in 1953 by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), honors the player who performs best in their second full season. Jimmy Piersall of the Red Sox was the American League winner, and Frank Malzone of the Red Sox Hall of Fame won in 1957.
The award vanished after 1962 due to a lack of interest but has remained a discussion item among those of us with nothing better to do with our free time, and that is what I will now do. So, looking into the crystal ball, the 2025 AL winner will be Ceddanne Rafaela, who seems primed for a Jarren Duran -style breakout season.
In 2024, the numbers that tragically jump out are Rafaela's 15 walks and 151 strikeouts over 571 plate appearances, which translates to 2.6 BB% and 27.1 K%. Rafaela's Fangraphs page can provide a more profound and uglier view of the metrics. So why the optimism?
Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela could be the Jarren Duran of 2025
Rafaela has made strides in plate awareness and mechanics. Spring training has shown Rafaela to be more patient and to abandon the recklessness that sang, "If I can reach it, I'll swing at it. "
Preparation is an essential ingredient for a player, and that translates into the work Rafaela has done in the offseason. The 24-year-old has muscled up and is not the 165-pound kid he was in 2024. You can see it physically in the way he now drives the ball. Rafaela has a guaranteed contract through 2031 and the industriousness he's shown suggests that is quite a fine deal.
The spring results are trending positive. Rafaela has more walks than Ks, is driving the ball, demonstrates plus defensive skills, and has a possible upside that could approach Mookie Betts's territory. Rafaela has those same tools, and now they must be placed together consistently.
Rafaela is the Red Sox's best choice for best sophomore in the AL, and that would be a difficult challenge to meet. However, if Rafaela gets to that level, this lineup will migrate from very good to outstanding, especially if the new and improved Raffy II jumps that average well above the .246 of 2025.