What Red Sox World Champion, Elite Defender Sees In Ceddanne Rafaela

BOSTON — Jackie Bradley Jr. patrolled center field at Fenway Park at an elite level for the Red Sox for years. Ceddanne Rafaela showed he can be the next great athlete to do that job.

The profiles for the two generations of Red Sox outfielders are pretty similar: pure athletes who track the ball well and have a knack for the incredible play with the glove while having the chance to catch a hot streak with the bat.

That’s why the Red Sox committed to Rafaela for the long term and rewarded him with a long-term extension in April. Bradley Jr.’s Red Sox tenure, which included a world championship and 2018 ALCS MVP honors, starts the standard for Rafaela as he grows into his own in Boston.

Bradley Jr. took the chance to share his brief thoughts on Rafaela’s future during a weekend visit to Fenway Park as the Red Sox honored legendary broadcaster Joe Castiglione.

“I haven’t gotten to see him in a large quantity,” Bradley Jr. told reporters. “I’ve seen a couple of plays that people will send to me and will tell me about. From what I see, he’s going to be pretty special. I’m happy that he was able to sign his deal and hopefully keeps doing his thing.”

Rafaela hit .246 with 15 home runs for the Red Sox in 2024 while playing exceptional defense in the outfield, tallying 12 defensive runs saved as a center fielder. Rafaela hopes to impact Boston’s new young core the way Bradley Jr. did in an eventual path to winning the 2018 World Series.