Red Sox Want To Keep Ceddanne Rafaela In The Outfield "As Much As Possible"
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said that the plan is to keep infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela in center field in 2025 "as much as possible." Rafaela really stepped up for the Red Sox in 2024 and provided plenty of defensive versatility, mainly in center field and shortstop. The 24-year-old started 72 games in center field, 71 at shortstop and four at second base in his first full season in the big leagues. His elite athleticism allows him to play pretty much anywhere on the diamond, but the BoSox would like to keep him focused on center field this year to hopefully make him more productive offensively. There was a need for Rafaela at the 6 in 2024 when Trevor Story was injured earlier in the year. Rafaela must improve his hard-hit metrics and plate discipline to take the next step as a hitter, but his elite athleticism should give hope to fantasy managers.
Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-4 in Friday's 11-6 win over the Rangers, including his 13th home run of the season. The hits extended his current hit streak to eight games, and he's hit safely in 12 of his last 13. During the eight-game hit streak the 23-year-old is 11-for-31 (.355) with two home runs, four RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases. He's been a solid multi-category contributor this season, posting a .257-13-57-54-15 line over 106 games, putting him in the top 12 at the position.
Ceddanne Rafaela Picks Up Three Hits In Win On Tuesday
Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela turned in an excellent game in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Rafaela went 3-for-4 with a double, a steal, and an RBI to help spark Boston to the win over their division rivals. The 24-year-old infielder is putting together a productive season for the Red Sox, hitting .251 with eight homers, 36 runs, 41 RBI, and 10 steals across 255 at-bats. He has been red-hot at the plate of late, batting .615 with six runs and four RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should have Rafaela locked into their starting lineups while he's on a hot streak.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela contributed in a big way to the team's 14-2 pounding of the Chicago White Sox, knocking in four runs with four hits. He finished the day 4-for-6 with a run and four RBI. It is shockingly Raffaela's third game this season with four or more RBI, with an incredible 16 of his 37 RBI coming in those three games. The 23-year-old has showcased his talent throughout the season but hasn't been able to find the consistency needed to be a reliable fantasy option yet. The glimpses of hope we've seen from him make him an intriguing option though, and holding onto him in case he puts it all together isn't a bad idea in deeper leagues.
Ceddanne Rafaela Blasts Two Home Runs, Collects Five RBI Friday
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela blasted two home runs and collected five RBI in a 7-3 win versus the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Rafaela made friends with the Green Monster, hitting a three-run homer over it in the fourth inning, followed by a two-run homer over it in the sixth inning. It's the young rookie's first career multi-homer game. Rafaela is in the midst of a hot streak where he has three home runs and a .348 batting average in his last seven games. After batting .167 with two home runs in April, he's improved to a .239 average in May while smacking five home runs. We love to see progress from exciting rookie prospects such as Rafaela, but his numbers on the season do not warrant a roster spot quite yet until he's shown enough improvement to earn a promotion out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela will take the day off on Thursday against the visiting Detroit Tigers in the series opener. With Rafaela retreating to the bench for this one, Jarren Duran will move over to center field while batting in his typical leadoff spot against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. Rob Refsnyder is in left field and batting third, while Wilyer Abreu is in right field and hitting in the two-hole for the BoSox. The 23-year-old Rafaela ended his modest four-game hitting streak on Wednesday in the loss to the Baltimore Orioles when he went hitless in four at-bats. Rafaela is a defensive stalwart already but is batting just .206 (39-for-189) with five homers, 28 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored in 55 games in 2024. Both Refsnyder and Abreu have been hot with the lumber so far this season but don't offer much power upside.
Boston Red Sox rookie outfielder/infielder Ceddanne Rafaela is sitting out on Friday on the road in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Rafaela has played as the team's center fielder and shortstop so far in just his second year in the big leagues, showing just how athletic he is on the diamond. He's not as advanced at the plate, though, and is hitting just .201 (30-for-149) with four home runs, 23 RBI, four stolen bases and 18 runs scored. Rafaela has been a bit better in May with a .234 average (11-for-47) with two homers and six RBI in 14 games played. With Rafaela getting a day of rest in the series opener at Busch Stadium, David Hamilton is getting the start at shortstop and will hit in the nine-hole against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson. Hamilton isn't a recommended DFS play at the position.
Boston Red Sox rookie shortstop/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rafaela really struggled in April with a .167 batting average, but he has turned it on in May thus far with a .275 batting average to accommodate his two homers and six RBI. Overall, the 23-year-old is hitting .211, but he has four homers and 23 RBI with four stolen bases. Managers that remained patient with Rafaela are starting to be rewarded and he is worth rostered in mixed leagues as he continues to improve and has good eligibility at shortstop and outfield.
Boston Red Sox infielder Ceddanne Rafaela went 4-for-4 with a home run, seven RBI, and a stolen base in Saturday's 17-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Rafaela had a career performance on Saturday by driving in seven runs in Saturday's rout over Chicago. The 23-year-old had a sacrifice fly for his first RBI of the game. He smashed a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning and capped it off with a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth frame. Rafaela is slashing .191/..225/.351 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 14 runs, and four stolen bases over 28 games in 2024. Rafaela will look to build on his performance in the series finale, and he has plenty of fantasy upside to be added to most leagues.
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela is the team's everyday shortstop at this point with Trevor Story (shoulder) out for the rest of the year. Rafaela is making his sixth straight start at the 6 on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. The move to put the 23-year-old defensive whiz at shortstop full time has allowed outfielder Wilyer Abreu to become an everyday player for the BoSox as well. Rafaela's full-time move to the 6 will give him dual eligibility in fantasy at both shortstop and the outfield. Rafaela has a lot to improve on offensively, though, as he's hitting just .171 (14-for-82) with a home run, nine RBI, three stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 25 games. He's mostly attractive in deeper leagues for his speed.
Ceddanne Rafaela
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Red Sox
