Boston Red Sox OF Ceddanne Rafaela is not a big man by athlete standards, listed recently at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, but his size certainly does not seem to hold him back on the baseball field. Rafaela, 22, entered this season at the Double-A level and well off the radar in redraft fantasy baseball leagues, though more than a curiosity in dynasty formats. Now, here we are in August and the Red Sox might present their future center fielder with his first look in the majors soon.
Rafaela hits right-handed, runs fast and plays an elite center field, and those skills alone would make him a reasonable big league player, though not one the Red Sox would need to push through the minors with expediency. Scouts previously cited a lack of plate discipline and power upside as negatives for the long term. Rafaela swings early and often in counts, but the approach is working for him. Rafaela is hitting .319 with a 1.028 OPS at Triple-A Worcester, and he is doing his best work versus right-handed pitching.
