Ceddanne Rafaela, who hit .294 with a .333 on-base percentage and 30 stole bases in 60 games with the Sea Dogs this season, was promoted to Triple A on Sunday. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
One of Boston’s most promising prospects just got a lot closer to the big show.
Ceddanne Rafaela was promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Sunday. He’s now just one level and about 40 miles, or 45 minutes (without Mass Pike traffic), from Fenway Park.
It was somewhat surprising that Rafaela even began the season in Portland, after a standout performance in 2022 led to the organization’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year award (and Baseball America’s Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year), a spot on the 40-man roster, and his first major league spring training. Currently the organization’s No. 3 prospect, the Curaçao native broke out last season when he moved from the infield to center field and became a one-man highlight reel.
Rafaela’s defense is already described as Gold Glove-caliber. Sea Dogs Manager Chad Epperson made headlines last summer when he said that the young prospect’s fielding is already better than Mookie Betts’ had been at that level (Betts also moved from the infield to outfield at Double-A Portland). One Red Sox executive assessed that Rafaela’s defense is already major-league ready.
His speed is next-level, too. Last month, he stole six bases in a single game to set a franchise record, then stole three more in his next. He told reporters that 30 stolen bases was one of his goals for the season, and indeed, ascends to Triple-A having met that goal, exactly 30 steals under his belt.
“Defensively and on the bases, he’s showing all the skill that he has. Frankly, the skill that he has in those areas is probably beyond that level,” Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom told the Boston Herald at the end of May. “But we sent him there for a reason.”
A significant reason is plate discipline, which the Red Sox wanted Rafaela to be able to hone without the added stress of simultaneously adjusting to a higher level of play. Though his overall 20.6 percent strikeout rate and 5.26 percent walk rate through 60 games in Double-A are virtually unchanged from the 19.8 percent strikeout rate and 5.1 percent walk rate he put together over 71 games at the same level last season, he’s shown more patience at the plate recently. Over his last 34 games, he’s at an 18 percent strikeout rate and seven percent walk rate.
Improvement is also apparent in his slash line. He’s hitting .364/.381/.584 this month, with an overall .294 average and .773 OPS this year.
At the end of May, Rafaela told the Boston Herald, “It doesn’t matter where I start, it’s where I finish this year.”
ANDREW BENINTENDI’S double down the right field line wasn’t hit too hard. It left his bat at 88.7 mph.
What followed was a series of mistakes by the Red Sox defense.
Gavin Sheets scored from first base on the double, putting the White Sox ahead by two runs in the fifth inning of their 4-1 win Sunday in Chicago.
Right fielder Rob Refsnyder fielded it and threw over the cutoff man, second baseman Christian Arroyo.
First baseman Triston Casas, the second cutoff man, caught the ball and had a play at the plate, but decided not to throw home. Benintendi, meanwhile, ran to third base. Casas threw behind the runner to second base instead of throwing to third and forcing Benintendi into a rundown.
“First, we’ve got to hit the cutoff man, the first one,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “We overthrew that one. So on that one, it’s a tough situation there.”
Cora said Casas also needed to be more alert of Sheets’ location.
“As an infielder, you’ve got to keep looking back, keep looking back,” Cora said. “He caught it and then he looked. But I think we can point the finger at him but if we hit the cutoff man, we get the guy out at the plate.”
Refsnyder took the blame.
“Benintendi hit the ball down the line. That would be kind of risky if I charged it and the ball got by me,” Refsnyder said. “I tried to get a good bounce off the wall. I think it was Arroyo and Triston who were the cut-(off men). I tried to make a strong throw. Obviously got it to Triston. So yeah, that’s my fault. I take accountability for that, for sure. I’ve just gotta make the first cut and kind of see what’s going on there.”
Sheets had reached base on a leadoff walk, starter Kutter Crawford’s only walk in six innings.
“The Benintendi double started with a leadoff walk and that can’t happen. So that’s on me,” Crawford said.
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