‘Something new every day’ with Rafaela’s glove
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Take any defensive cliché you favor, and it applies to Ceddanne Rafaela. He’s a future Gold Glove contender. Water covers 71 p.c of the Earth’s floor; he covers the remaining 29 p.c. He’s a spotlight reel all to himself.
OK, that final one is true, and we are able to show it.
The No. 86 general prospect is likely one of the most gifted defenders within the Minor Leagues, a lot in order that he may very well be a plus glovesman at each heart area and shortstop. The Red Sox have moved the Curaçao native between the grass and the grime the final two seasons, making an attempt to benefit from his spectacular instincts and quick-twitch actions at each spots, and that elite versatility earned Rafaela a 40-man roster spot final offseason when he first turned Rule 5-eligible.
“I think some of the normal routine plays that he makes are probably not as routine as people think,” mentioned Boston director of participant improvement Brian Abraham. “That’s really what makes him special. When he was even younger, he just had a knack for the baseball and really good instincts. That’s really hard to teach. I don’t have one [favorite play], but it’s something new every day, which is a pretty cool thing.”
From Spring Training camp in Fort Myers, MLB Pipeline sat down with the No. 3 Red Sox prospect with the above montage of his finest performs from the 2022 season with Double-A Portland to get his commentary on his defensive work within the outfield and at shortstop. Below are highlights of these performs and highlights of that dialog.
Let’s begin with a bang. Rafaela was no stranger to the traditional center-field home-run theft in 2022.
Rafaela: I knew it was a excessive wall, so I couldn’t simply bounce and catch it. So I do know I’ve to place a step and bounce. So I used to be simply timing it and made the catch. … As an outfielder, once they hit it if it’s going to the warning observe or it’s only a fly ball. You should see it proper from the bat.
Rafaela initially signed with Boston as an infielder and made 21 begins at shortstop final season between Portland and High-A Greenville, together with this July 29 recreation in Hartford the place his instincts with each his glove and arm got here into play.
Rafaela: I anticipate each play. I like to do this, think about performs in my thoughts earlier than they occur. I used to be infielding, and I used to be considering fly ball again and verify straight away [for the runner]. Maybe if I dive, verify if he was [running] on contact or not. So that’s why I knew I needed to go straight away to the plate.
The 22-year-old batted .288 with an .880 OPS in ’22, exhibiting the potential to be a mean general hitter. But contemplating how he could make Superman-style leaps within the outfield, he is aware of his worth comes on the opposite finish.
Rafaela: Making these performs for me, it’s enormous as a result of lots of baseball gamers solely assume offensively. They need to hit dwelling runs and doubles and stuff. I like to make performs, too. I feel I prefer to make performs greater than I do to hit a house run. It doesn’t solely assist me as a result of I’m serving to my teammate too, the pitcher, and that makes me really feel good that I’m serving to the workforce.
Dykstra: They began supplying you with extra heart area in 2021 coming off the pandemic yr. What was that dialogue like?
Rafaela: I imply, it was simply to see extra and play extra, I feel. More alternative. I used to be pleased. I used to be actually pleased to go on the market. Growing up, that’s the place I performed within the [2012] Little League World Series. I performed outfield arising.
Dykstra: So did you get to really feel like being a child once more?
Rafaela: That was one in every of my favourite performs.
Dykstra: That one proper there. Why is that?
Rafaela: Because it was nearly unimaginable to catch that ball. If you see, I catch the ball on the grass earlier than it enters my glove. I knew my man is there to again me up, [Wilyer] Abreu, so I used to be simply leaping to see if I can catch it. That’s why it’s one in every of my favourite performs.
Dykstra You know that’s a threat, such as you’re not one hundred pc that you just’re going to catch that?
Rafaela: That one? No. That one, no as a result of it was a low line drive that simply retains carrying.
The Red Sox have mentioned they anticipate Rafaela enjoying 4 video games per week in heart and two at shortstop in 2023 to maintain him contemporary at each positions. And whereas his favourite performs could come as he is flying towards the gaps, he nonetheless has the thoughts of a participant on the six, which is useful with performs just like the above.
Rafaela: I feel the one time I throw as an outfielder is [during] the sport after I’m enjoying as an outfielder. But training and every part, I hold doing like I’m an infielder.
But to circle again round to the highest, nothing goes to make Rafaela a star fairly like leaping over a center-field wall and turning a potential dinger right into a surefire out. Those choices could also be restricted with Fenway Park’s tall partitions, however Rafaela talked about he’s particularly wanting ahead to creating Boston’s 420-foot triangle a part of his territory.
Rafaela: That one is thrilling as a result of that day, I used to be training in BP, and I robbed one too. So I used to be like, ‘I need to rob one right now.’ And then it occurred. It was loopy.
If Rafaela’s protection is any indication, his Minor League highlights could grow to be Major League internet gems shortly in 2023.
Rafaela: They know what I can do defensively. They know what I’ve acquired. So I don’t have to essentially attempt to do far more than I can do. Just hold being myself and making an attempt to make the correct selections on the proper place. … I feel I simply have to attend for my time. Wait for the decision and do my factor.
