Xander Bogaerts Sees This Potential In Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela

BOSTON -- Xander Bogaerts brought his baseball dreams to reality. The once-young player from Aruba won two world championships with the Red Sox before breaking the bank in a free-agent deal with the San Diego Padres.

Bogaerts stands out for players from the ABC Islands as the Red Sox hope to develop the region's next star in Ceddanne Rafaela.

Rafaela, a native of Curaçao, plays through his first full MLB season after making his debut late in 2023. Like Bogaerts, Rafaela can hold his own at shortstop while also taking his elite defense to center field.

Rafaela rose through the minor leagues while Bogaerts played in his final season with the Red Sox in 2022. Now returning to Fenway Park while injured with the Padres, Bogaerts offered his thoughts on the recently-extended Red Sox player.

"He's got it, man," Bogaerts told reporters on Friday. "It's elite in short and in center. That's not something that a lot of guys can say they can do. He might be a free swinger. When he hits it, he can get a good swing on it."

Rafaela continues to work through refinements at the plate as he searches for overall improvement in consistency at the plate for the Red Sox. Bogaerts went through similar struggles with a slump in 2014. That experience showed him that patience and repetition are the best tools in growth.

"I'd probably say about the same thing about me when I was young," Bogaerts shared. "It was tough. I hit .240 my first year in the big leagues. It wasn't easy. All I needed was a little time."

From Rafaela to Padres teammate Jurickson Profar, Bogaerts appreciates the growing number of surrounding players in the big leagues originating from the ABC islands. All three of those players get to convene at Fenway Park this weekend.