Red Sox
“I’m surprised people are not talking about him in the conversation of Rookie of the Year, because what he’s done throughout the season is amazing.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora believes Ceddanne Rafaela should be in the mix to win American League Rookie of the Year this season.
The 23-year-old’s stats of late and his defensive prowess should earn him serious consideration for the award.
Rafaela’s .248 batting average and .698 through the first three-and-a-half months of the season might not stand out upon first glance. Dig a little bit deeper into his more recent numbers at the plate and impact in the field, and Cora’s remarks will make sense.
Whether he’s playing at shortstop or in center field, Rafaela often looks like a veteran with the glove despite playing in his first full MLB season.
Take a look at some of the highlight-reel defensive plays the rookie has made of late.
Watch Rafaela make an impressive lunging grab and jumping throw on a ground ball from shortstop against the Athletics Thursday:
“The kid, he’s really good,” Cora told reporters postgame. “I’m surprised people are not talking about him in the conversation of Rookie of the Year, because what he’s done throughout the season is amazing. Playing elite defense in center field. Playing great defense at shortstop.”
Also at shortstop, watch the rookie effortlessly pick a chopper and throw the hitter out while blowing a massive gum bubble back on Tuesday:
Offensively, Rafaela has been producing at the plate more than was anticipated entering 2024. He’s hit 11 home runs this season, good for third-most on the club (Rafael Devers 21, Tyler O’Neill 16).
One of his most recent homers came in extra innings against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, a go-ahead 412-foot shot to help Boston win.
The rook has collected a whopping 51 RBI, the most of any AL ROY candidate listed on DraftKings Sportsbook’s odds list. Rafaela’s RBI total trails only Devers’s 58 on the Red Sox.
He’s scored 45 times this year, primarily batting in the nine-hole behind leadoff hitter Jarren Duran.
“The Kid,” as Cora affectionately calls Rafaela, is off to a hot start in July. He’s collected 10 hits, three of which being home runs, and a pair of both doubles and triples. Rafaela has driven in 10 runs and scored six times through nine games this month.
“Offensively he started slow average-wise, but he’s been consistent in every aspect,” Cora said. “He’s getting better. He puts on good at-bats [Thursday] and the reason where we are where we’re at is because of the versatility of our roster.”
His .278 average and staggering .991 OPS should boost his ROY odds heading into Boston’s last series before MLB’s All-Star break.
As of Friday, Rafaela has the fourth-best odds to win the AL award, according to DraftKings. His +800 odds are behind the Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford (+125), the Yankees’ Luis Gil (+250), and the Baltimore Orioles’ Colton Cowser (+550).
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