Ceddanne Rafaela was the breakout star of the Boston Red Sox farm system in 2022. He was rewarded for his spectacular season on Tuesday.
Rafaela, signed as an international free agent out of Curacao in 2017, was named the Red Sox' Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. The 22-year-old shined in all facets of the game, showing off Gold Glove potential in both the outfield and infield while putting up huge numbers at the plate and on the basepaths.
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In 116 games this year between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, Rafaela slashed .299/.342/.539 with 21 homers and 86 RBI. The 5-foot-8, 152-pounder also collected 32 doubles and 10 triples to go with 28 stolen bases.
As a result, Rafaela has surged up the Red Sox prospect rankings. He finishes his season at No. 6 on SoxProspects.com and No. 3 on MLB Pipeline.
We will likely see Rafaela begin the 2023 season in Portland, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get the call up to Triple-A Worcester. As for when we can expect him on the big-league club, SoxProspects.com projects a 2024 ETA.