Ceddanne Rafaela

Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela in 2024
Boston Red Sox – No. 43
Infielder / Outfielder
Born: (2000-09-18) September 18, 2000 (age 24)
Willemstad, Curaçao
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 28, 2023, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.246
Home runs17
Runs batted in80
Stolen bases22
Teams

Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela (born September 18, 2000) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.

Career

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Rafaela participated in the 2012 Little League World Series as a member of the Willemstad team representing the Caribbean Region.[1] He signed with the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in July 2017.[2] Rafaela made his professional debut in 2018 with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox. In 2019, he played for the Gulf Coast Red Sox batting .248/.330/.425 and Lowell Spinners batting .182/.167/.182.

Rafaela did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] In 2021, he played for the Salem Red Sox, batting .251/.305/.424.[4] He started 2022 with the Greenville Drive before being promoted to the Portland Sea Dogs.[5][6] Rafaela was selected to the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.[7] For the season, Rafaela was named minor-league Defensive Player of the Year by the Red Sox organization.[8] On November 15, Rafaela was added to Boston's 40-man roster.[9]

In January 2023, Rafaela was ranked the 71st best prospect by Baseball America list and the 53rd best prospect by Fangraphs.[10][11] Rafaela was initially optioned to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox to begin the 2023 season.[12] However, on March 28, the Red Sox announced that Rafaela would begin back in Double-A Portland so he could work on his approach at the plate without having to adjust to the higher level.[13] On May 13, Rafaela set a franchise record after stealing six bases in a game against the Somerset Patriots—he was initially credited with seven steals but had one taken away due to defensive indifference.[14] Rafaela was promoted to Worcester on June 28.[15] On August 28, he was added to Boston's major-league roster.[16] He made his MLB debut that evening, hitting a single in his first at bat.[17] On September 12, in the second game of the doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Rafaela hit his first major-league home run, estimated at 400 feet, off Carlos Rodón.[18] In September, Rafaela was recognized as the Red Sox' minor-league baserunner of the year for 2023.[19] In 2023 with the Red Sox, he had a slash line of .241/.281/.386.[20]

Rafaela was on Boston's Opening Day roster to begin the 2024 season.[21] On April 8, 2024, Rafaela signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension with the Red Sox, locking him up through the 2031 season. [22] On July 5, 2024, Rafaela hit a two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning to help secure a 5-3 win for the Red Sox against the New York Yankees in his first game at Yankee Stadium.[23]

In 2024, he batted .246/.274/.390 with 15 home runs and 75 RBIs. He walked 2.6% of the time, the lowest percentage in Major League Baseball.[24]

Personal life

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Rafaela's middle name of "Chipper" comes from Chipper Jones, due to his mother being a fan of the Atlanta Braves.[25] He speaks English, Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Stiefel, Keagan (February 8, 2023). "Red Sox Prospect Outlook: Can Ceddanne Rafaela Exceed Insane 2022 Season?". NESN. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Speier, Alex (April 28, 2022). "Red Sox' most improbable prospect is power-hitting 5-8 utilityman Ceddanne Rafaela". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Speier, Alex (April 16, 2022). "Ceddanne Rafaela Makes More Hard Contact For Red Sox". Baseball America. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  5. ^ Smith, Christopher (April 20, 2022). "Boston Red Sox's other Raffy: Ceddanne Rafaela is 76 pounds lighter than Rafael Devers but has 5 homers, 5 doubles in 10 games". MassLive.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  6. ^ "Surging Red Sox Prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Make Double-A Debut". June 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (July 14, 2022). "Here are the 2022 Futures Game rosters". MLB.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Woodward, Will (September 27, 2022). "Minor Notes: Red Sox announce their Players of the Year & Portland's playoff run ends". soxprospects.com. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  9. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff – Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. November 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Abraham, Peter (January 21, 2023). "Sunday Baseball Notes". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. ^ "The List". FanGraphs Baseball. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  12. ^ "Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Shipped to minor-league camp". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Will begin season in Double-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  14. ^ "Red Sox prospect steals SIX bases in one game". mlb.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Cassell, Tommy (August 28, 2023). "Meet one of the top Red Sox prospects, who recently earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Massachusetts. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Red Sox Announce Roster Moves". MLB.com (Press release). Boston Red Sox. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Ceddanne Rafaela's first hit". MLB.com. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Browne, Ian (September 13, 2023). "Rafaela shows off light-tower power with 1st big league homer". mlb.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  19. ^ Speier, Alex (September 26, 2023). "Minor league honors offer Red Sox chance to reflect on their developing homegrown pitching pipeline". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  20. ^ "Ceddanne Rafaela Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  21. ^ Speier, Alex (March 23, 2024). "Red Sox name Ceddanne Rafaela to Opening Day roster". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  22. ^ "Rookie Rafaela agrees to 8-year extension with Red Sox (source)". MLB.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "Red Sox stun Yankees 5-3 on 2-run homers by Yoshida in the 9th and Rafaela in the 10th". ESPN.com.
  24. ^ "2024 Major League Leaders," Fangraphs.
  25. ^ Ryan, Conor (August 28, 2023). "5 things to know about Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela after his call-up to MLB". Boston.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  26. ^ Smith, Christopher (July 6, 2022). "Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela has quick hands, bat speed like Mookie Betts, speaks 4 languages like Xander Bogaerts". masslive. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
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