Here at Fastball and FanNation, we write a lot about minor league prospects, but typically ones that are just about to make their major league debuts.
It's not every day that we write about individual minor league performances, though. Sure, there's the occasional Elly De La Cruz post, but it's rare.
Insert this story about Boston Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela, who put up one of the more absurd stat lines you'll ever see for Double-A Portland on Saturday.
From Alex Speier of the Boston Globe:
Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela stole ... 7 (!) bases for Double-A Portland today? He went 2-for-3 with two walks, stole second four times and stole third three times.
Seven stolen bases in one game? I'm not saying it's never happened, but I personally have never seen that kind of running output before.
Rafaela is currently the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization, behind Marcelo Mayer. He is ranked No. 75 in all of baseball.
He currently has 17 stolen bases this season in 27 games.
From his MLB.com profile:
He has developed into one of the best defenders in the Minors -- and likely the most versatile -- and his offensive game has taken off since he made adjustments to allow him to drive the ball better in mid-2021. He set career highs across the board last season, hitting .299/.342/.538 with 63 extra-base hits and 28 steals between High-A and Double-A at age 21.
Boston's Minor League defensive player of the year in 2021 and 2022, Rafaela can provide quality glovework with advanced instincts almost anywhere on the diamond. He saw most of his action last year in center field, where he's a Gold Glover waiting to happen with outstanding range along with plus arm strength. He's also a plus defender at shortstop and has spent time at second base, third base and both outfield corners in the past.
Despite his lack of physicality, Rafaela produces average power thanks to a combination of a quick right-handed swing, deceptive strength and an extremely aggressive approach. He has good bat-to-ball skills, though he chases a lot of pitches out of the strike zone and will have to make better swing decisions to thrive against more advanced pitching. He's a plus runner who uses his quickness well on the bases and in the field.
Rebuilding the farm system has been a major priority of Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. Rafaela, Mayer and a slew of others are a part of that process. The team is also getting contributions at the major league level from other young players like Josh Wincowski, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, Triston Casas and Jarren Duran.
At the time of this posting, the Red Sox and Cardinals are tied 0-0 in the top of the first inning.
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