Ceddanne Rafaela has stayed hot since his recent promotion to Double-A Portland, and is now on the precipice of rising up the Boston Red Sox prospect rankings.
The 21-year-old utility man started the season with the High-A Greenville drive, where he displayed a rare combination of speed and power. Rafaela hit .330 with 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 36 RBI in 45 games. He also stole 14 bases on 16 attempts and is known for his defensive prowess as an infielder and outfielder. The terrific start was enough to warrant a promotion to the Sea Dogs on June 7.
Despite the upgrade in competition, Rafaela has been equally dominant. He's hit .333 (7-for-21) with two doubles, two home runs and 3 RBI in only five games. His play is starting to get the attention it deserves.
"Not unreasonable to think Rafaela is a top-10 Red Sox prospect right now," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier tweeted Saturday. "That is ... quite a leap."
MLB Pipeline listed Rafaela as the No. 27 prospect in the organization, enforcing Speier's point about his "leap" in status. Sox Prospects, who appear to be a little more in tune with the team, brought him from No. 19 to No. 14 on their June update, before he made the jump to Double-A. Their next rankings may reflect Speier's projected rise.
The most remarkable part about Rafaela's game is that he's produced 34 extra-base hits in 50 games while being listed at 5-foot-8, 152-pounds. Evaluators likely are hesitant to believe in his raw power, but it's starting to become undeniable.
