In recent weeks, Ceddanne Rafaela has been playing at a high level.
After a relatively poor start to 2025, the third-year center fielder, who is usually more recognized for his defensive skills and positional versatility than his plate approach, has been picking up offensive momentum.
Despite being a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter, Rafaela recorded his seventh multi-hit game since June 1 on Saturday. After hitting just three home runs in his first 60 games of the season, he has already hit seven in that time frame.
His most recent long ball was a two-run blast deep over the left field wall on Saturday, which put Boston ahead 8-0 in the third inning. Rafaela had three RBIs and one run scored at the end of the second day.
Boston’s bats are burning.It’s 8-0 thanks to a 2-run shot from Ceddanne Rafaela!tweet.com/KpP8o1PIW5
Rafaela took a tumble while rounding second on Saturday, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game that he is fine.
Rafaela is at or above league average in a number of offensive stats as Boston approaches the All-Star break. According to Christopher Smith of MassLive, his hard-hit percentage is in the 73rd percentile in the MLB, although his batting average of.248 is just below the league average. His wRC+ of 101, which is a metric used to evaluate the worth of runs produced by a particular player, is likewise higher than the league average of 100.
Rafaela ranks among the top 25% of all MLB hitters with 10 home runs. Additionally, Rafaela’s current offensive surge is extremely beneficial for the Red Sox, who are still looking for greater offensive consistency as a team, given that he is still a defense-first lineup regular with gold glove potential at center field.
The Red Sox’s potent offense destroyed the Nationals in their second straight game on Saturday. With Garrett Crochet on the mound on Sunday, it has a chance to sweep the weekend series against Washington.
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