Black MiLB Players #11: INF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Another talented prospect from the small island of Curaçao, Ceddanne Rafaela has the traits of a dynamic run scorer with a defensive future in the middle of the field.
Background + Path to Professional Baseball
Ceddanne (pronounced say-DAHN) Rafaela is a 22-year-old prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization from Willemstad, Curaçao. Curaçao is a Dutch Caribbean island in the Southern Caribbean Sea. Rafaela is quadrilingual, being able to speak English, Spanish, Papiamento, and Dutch. He played on Curaçao’s Little League World Series team at 12 years old, standing only 4’9’’.
Papiamento is a Portuguese creole with African, Dutch, and Spanish influences spoken across the Dutch Caribbean. It has some Arawak elements as well.
He signed with Boston as an amateur free agent during the 2017 J2 signing period, receiving a $10,000 dollar signing bonus.
His professional career started with 225 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League during the 2018 MiLB season, hitting .271/.326/.379 with nine doubles and three home runs. He would make his stateside debut the following season, playing 41 games with Boston’s affiliate in the Gulf Coast League before a three-game cup of coffee in the New York-Penn League. Rafaela went .244/.319/.409 during his age-18 season, collecting four triples, six home runs, and nine stolen bases in just 188 total plate appearances.
He recorded 432 plate appearances during the 2021 season with Boston’s Low-A affiliate, posting a .251/.305/.424 slash line with 20 doubles, nine triples, 10 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. He established himself as one of the Red Sox’s more interesting position player prospects in his first full season of professional baseball.
2022 was Rafaela’s breakout season, hitting .299/.342/.539 in over 500 plate appearances with Boston’s High-A and Double-A affiliates. He would collect 32 doubles, 10 triples, and 21 home runs to go with 28 stolen bases.
Player Profile
Ceddanne Rafaela has logged time at shortstop, second base, third base, and all three outfield spots during his professional career. He stands around 5’8’’, and weighs around 145 pounds. Despite his small stature, he has an athletic build and a frame that could carry another 10 pounds of muscle without slowing him down.
Hitting
Rafaela is a right-handed hitter with a very aggressive approach at the plate. Visually, his swing looks very similar to Mookie Betts’ but that is where the similarities end.
His exit velocities grade out around league average. Only 5’8’’ and weighing around 150 pounds, his bat speed is mostly due to his lower half flexibility and strength, especially his hips and core. Even with this development he still has the ability to accrue extra-base hits because of his ability to lift the ball and hit line drives all over the field. His speed helps him stretch singles into doubles and leg out infield hits as well.
Due to his free-swinging nature, Rafaela’s walk rate will probably settle at around 3-8% at the MLB level. His approach emphasizes going to all fields, and he also produces an almost even amount of groundballs and flyballs. He makes line drive contact at an above-average rate.
Fielding
Ceddanne Rafaela is a true jack of all trades, being able to play the infield and outfield at an above-average to elite level. His best position is centerfield, as he combines elite route running with his athleticism. He also brings a strong and accurate throwing arm to the table that enhances his defensive versatility. He is an above-average infielder that primarily plays shortstop although he has logged multiple appearances at second and third base during his MiLB career so far. Many scouts in the Red Sox organization have heavily disputed what defensive position(s) he will play in MLB due to his versatility and prowess.
Baserunning
Rafaela is an above-average baserunner, stealing at least 20 bags in his most recent two seasons and swiping 19 during his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. He is aggressive and possesses great baseball instincts, frequently taking extra bases and pushing the envelope as often as he can. His ability to score runs and set the table with his baserunning skills for middle-of-the-order hitters such as Rafael Devers will be one of his main calling cards in MLB.
Conclusion
With the new offensive developments happening in MLB due to the rule changes, Ceddanne Rafaela couldn’t have had his breakout season at a more opportune time. One of MiLB’s most unique prospects, his defensive versatility and offensive skills give him a very safe floor and a fairly high ceiling.
He has the quintessential traits of a throwback player: contact ability, speed, versatility, etc. His game reminds me of someone that would’ve thrived in the Negro Leagues or after the integration of MLB in the era of Maury Wills and Lou Broc
His floor is that of a top-tier utility player that provides elite defense at all three outfield spots and second base, third base, and shortstop. His speed and defensive ability make him an extremely useful Swiss army knife. He has the ability to be an effective late-inning defensive replacement at almost every position on the field and can also pinch run in situations where his team is playing for the tie or the lead.
I believe his ceiling is a full-time, Gold Glove-caliber middle infielder, centerfielder, or super-utility player that can post a wRC+ slightly above average and scores a lot of runs. Rafaela’s ability to wreak havoc with his baserunning, his defense/versatility, and his willingness to make the necessary adjustments as he establishes himself in the big leagues are the keys to him fulfilling his potential.