Ceddanne Rafaela firmly in the AL ROY conversation in the second half originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox enter the second half of the 2024 MLB season with a chance to make a surprising push into the postseason. Two exciting newcomers played key roles in their success.
Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu represent the beginning of the youth movement in Boston. Both are in the mix for American League Rookie of the Year, with Rafaela boasting the third-best odds of winning the award (+950) and Abreu tying Oakland closer Mason Miller for the fifth-best odds (+1200), according to with Fanatics Sportsbook.
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Rafaela made it into the top three with a torrid few weeks before the All-Star break. Through 12 games in July, the 23-year-old posted an .885 OPS with three doubles, two triples, three home runs and 11 RBI.
His recent rise convinced fans to vote for him as the midseason AL Rookie of the Year in an MLB on FOX poll:
Rafaela’s impact was felt in every facet of the game. He leads all MLB rookies in RBI (52), ranks second among rookies in home runs (11) and triples (four), third in hits (81) and runs scored (45) and fourth in doubles (16 ) and stolen bases (11).
The Curacao native is an elite center fielder with eight defensive runs saved in 57 games. He has also been a reliable replacement at shortstop for the injured Trevor Story.
The cases against Rafaela as Rookie of the Year are his high strikeout total (94 in 93 games) and unimpressive fWAR (0.4). His success rate (33.1%) puts him in the sixth percentile among big leaguers and has been a problem throughout his professional baseball career.
That being said, there is no reason to believe that Rafaela cannot continue to improve and become a star for the Red Sox. He has been a revelation since his slow start to the campaign and if he picks up where he left off as a threat at the plate, burner on the base paths and Gold Glove candidate in the field, he should be an American League Rookie of the Year Finalist in a relatively weak class of 2024. Abreu could also make the top three.
Rafaela and the Red Sox will return to action on Friday as they begin a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First pitch at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.
