Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Watch: Red Sox OF makes Willie Mays-esque catch

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated May 8, 2025 5:26 PM ET

Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela is a player who is viewed as having Gold Glove potential, and a catch he made during Thursday's game should boost his resume.

The Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers 5-0 in a matinee game at Fenway Park on Thursday. It looked like the Rangers were going to make some noise in the ninth inning when third baseman Josh Jung led off the inning by driving a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark, but Rafaela did his best Willie Mays impression to make the catch.

Rafaela went into a full sprint and caught the ball over his shoulder. He slammed hard into the outfield wall but was able to hang on.

Ceddanne Rafaela is special. pic.twitter.com/frrqpZcdSM
— Mike Monaco (@MikeMonaco_) May 8, 2025

Rafaela is a career .243 hitter and is batting just .225 this season. That play is a perfect example of why Red Sox manager Alex Cora has chosen to keep the 24-year-old in the lineup.

As a rookie last season, Rafaela split time between shortstop and center field. He played in 152 games and was solid at both positions. Rafaela was named the Red Sox Defensive Player of the Year in the minor leagues in 2021 and '22.

Rafaela can flash some serious leather, which is why many believe it is only a matter of time before he wins a Gold Glove. If he turns in a few more plays like the one we saw on Thursday, he will have a great shot at taking home the award this year.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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