Rafaela keeps building case for roster place
FORT MYERS, Fla. — If you watch Ceddanne Rafaela for long enough, he’ll have your undivided attention. He glides with ease to the ball when playing the outfield, certain that he can make any play in his vicinity.
At the plate, his unassuming and slender frame is a contradiction. Within that 5 feet 9 inches and 165 pounds is some serious thunder, capable of turning opposition pitching to mush.
In Saturday’s Spring Breakout contest against stars from Atlanta’s system, Rafaela demanded your attention.
The Red Sox youngsters were in a second-inning bind after Wikelman Gonzalez issued back-to-back walks to open the frame. Rafaela single-handedly erased Gonzalez’s blunders.
Braves prospect Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. lifted a ball to leftcenter field, which Rafaela, charging in and running to his right, immediately had a bead on. He caught it in stride for the first out of the inning.
Most center fielders would have seen that as their only out on the play, but Rafaela is widely known for his playmaking ability. A backyard-baseball mentality is never too far from his feet.
With his momentum carrying him to left field, Rafaela noticed Braves speedster Isaiah Drake more than halfway to third base, trying to race back to second. From a three-quarter arm slot, Rafaela delivered a one-hop strike to Nick Yorke for the double play.
“I think it’s about anticipating the play,” said Rafaela. “You always think before the play happens of any chance that the ball can be hit here or there. What are you going to do with it? How many outs? So when the play comes you just play. You play with your talent.”
Rafaela could be playing himself into the Opening Day lineup. He’s traveled lightly this spring despite the stakes at hand. Manager Alex Cora has made it clear the outfield alignment hinges on him, with the injury to Vaughn Grissom meaning Rafaela — who signed as a shortstop — also will get some action at shortstop and second base before the spring is over.
His versatility might give him an edge on one of the 26 spots on the Opening Day roster. It’s not something that he’s necessarily thinking about.
“As it gets closer to the day, the more confident I am,” said Rafaela. “I think the work I put in the whole spring, it shows off.”
Spring stats don’t matter, but Rafaela has done nothing but help his case. He’s hitting .256/ .326/.564, an .890 OPS in 15 games.
“He’s a special player hitting,” said Marcelo Mayer, the top Sox infield prospect, who also participated in Saturday’s game. “The throw on the run, not many players could do that in center field, or really anywhere on the diamond. So you know, it’s really cool. I’m glad that he’s on my team and not someone else’s.”
When asked if he deserved to make the big club, Rafaela tiptoed around the question, adding that it wasn’t his decision. A smirk suggested, at the very least, he feels he belongs.
“I can’t control that,” said Rafaela. “I can only control what I can control.”
The Sox wanted to see controlled at-bats from him this spring. So far, he’s done that.
Yet there’s something captivating about the dazzling plays and the baseballs launched beyond the bleacher seats. He delivered the latter in the third inning with two men on, a homer over his domain in center and out of JetBlue Park.
Is that about as good as Rafaela can hit a ball?
“Not yet,” Rafaela said.
The next one, he hopes, is at a big league stadium.