Rafaela fights for a spot on the roster
Rookie shortstop getting inspired by Gold Glove legends
FORT MYERS, Fla. – To hear Ceddanne Rafaela talk about baseball is to hear someone speak with joy, appreciation, and an almost childlike sense of wonder, as if he can’t believe he gets to play this game for a living.
All of which makes sense for someone who’s only 23 years old and still a rookie.
Rafaela speaks softly and smiles often, a sharp contrast with the player he is on the field, a confident defender whom evaluators believe can be a perennial Gold Glove centerfielder.
But first, he has to make the big-league roster.
In that way, this offseason feels “the same” as the one before, he said in the clubhouse on Friday. “Last year, I had the same mentality, to fight for a spot.”
The difference is the 28 Major League games he now has under his belt. After beginning last season in Double-a, he earned a promotion to Triple-a in late June. Almost exactly two months later, he got the call.
The big-league experience was eye-opening. “One of the best things ever in my life, in my career, and it helped me a lot,” he said. “Showing me how’s the game at the highest level, I think it helps me a lot going into this spring and this season.”
“The game shows you that you have to keep working hard every day,” he added. “Out there, it’s every day, you learn something new.”
Alex Cora has spoken at length about Rafaela’s chances at making the Opening Day roster and his potential. “We know the defensive game is elite,” he lauded earlier in the week. “It’s a game-changer.”
The manager is taking the positive reinforcement route as he guides the rookie. “(He) just tells me, keep being me,” Rafaela said. “He’s not putting any pressure on me, so I’m feeling good, have a good relationship with him. He’s one of the best coaches … he’s just telling me, be myself, be the player you are and just keep working hard.”
The true test for Rafaela is the same as it’s always been: plate discipline. He went 20-for-83, including six doubles and a pair of home runs, slashing .241/.281/.386 in the Majors last year, but he struck out 28 times and only drew four walks. Almost every player needs time to adjust to the Majors, but it was a far cry from his .302/.349/.520 slash over the 108 games he played between Doubleand Triple-a.
After an intense offseason of training, he arrived at camp feeling like a more selective hitter. “Right now, I feel pretty good,” he said. “Feel pretty confident going into the spring.”
When it comes to his defense, he’s self-assured, but not cocky about the projections. “I’m pretty confident in my glove, the work I can do there,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m there, but I work hard every day and I feel like I can win a Gold Glove.”
Rafaela also brings middle infield experience to the table; like Mookie Betts, he moved to the outfield at the Double-a level, and quickly impressed with jaw-dropping catches. Though the Red Sox see him making the roster to play center, he’s still doing infield work “almost every day,” and the defensive versatility could give him a leg up. “It’s a good chance,” he said. “It’s part of my game, it’s what I’ve been doing for the last couple years, and I’m happy with it.”
This game is hard work, especially for someone trying to defend within Fenway Park’s unique outfield dimensions, but it sounds like all play because Rafaela speaks so appreciatively about his craft. “It’s fun to just play defense, it’s fun to make the outfield catch,” he said. “To be the starting centerfielder would be really, really, really fun.”
“To be there the Opening Day, first day, to help the team win this year, I mean, that’s big, that’s huge for me, for my career,” he acknowledged. Above all, “just gonna keep working hard, keep being a good teammate, keep going every day out and do my best.”
To improve upon his already impressive defense, Rafaela studies footage of himself and center fielders. “I really like to see my plays, and the other guys in the business right now,” he said. “Kevin Kiermaier is, for me, one of the best in the game right now. I really like how he goes about it.”