2025 Fantasy Baseball: Ceddanne Rafaela Profile, Preview, Predictions
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Ceddanne Rafaela brings defense to the table for the Red Sox, but his playing time in 2025 looks murky due to Boston's extra infield and outfield depth. His skill set screams upside, once he improves his approach.
Ceddanne Rafaela rockets a 3-run home run to put the @RedSox up by 5. pic.twitter.com/TuHiYTyEOK
— MLB (@MLB) July 2, 2024
OF – Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS (ADP – 178.5)
Over his first two years in the minors between rookie ball and single-A, Rafaela hit .249 with 103 runs, 16 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases over 558 at-bats. His bat has been sensational over the past two seasons over three levels (.300/162/41/164/65 over 923 at-bats), giving Boston hope that they have a late-blooming stud centerfielder. His defense is top-shelf.
Last season, Rafaela made the Red Sox out of spring training, drawing fantasy hype in March in the high-stakes market. Despite hitting .211 over his first 194 at-bats, his bat delivered helpful stats in runs (28), home runs (7), RBIs (33), and stolen bases (7). Other than his approach (eight walks and 72 strikeouts), he was a much better player over his next 282 at-bats (.284/37/7/30/10). Rafaela hit .191 over his final 68 at-bats with five runs, one home run, and 12 RBI, but he didn’t take a walk with 25 strikeouts.
His approach (strikeout rate – 26.4 and walk rate – 2.6) needs plenty of work. Rafaela ranked 182nd (out of 207 batters with 400 plate appearances or higher) in exit velocity (86.6 mph) and 151st in hard-hit rate (36.9). On the positive side, his launch angle (14.9) promoted more power when he gets stronger. He had a higher average hit rate (1.697) in the minors and was above his finish with the Red Sox (1.582).
Fantasy Outlook: Rafaela had his AAA development year in Boston last year, suggesting a much better season in 2025. His minor league resume paints a higher picture of power and stolen bases while offering a free-swinging approach. His defense is a huge plus, and he also saw time a 2B (5), 3B (4), and shortstop (82) last year. The Red Sox gave him 500 of his 544 at-bats (91.9%) in the eighth and ninth slots in their batting order, which lowers his ceiling in runs and RBIs.
Rafaela ranked 72nd in FPGscore (-0.15) for hitters in 2024. Sneaky cheat at shortstop with the tools to be a .270/80/20/75/30 hitter in his sophomore campaign, making Rafaela an excellent target based on his price point (102nd hitter drafted in mid-January).
RANKINGS
Top 5 Catchers | Catchers 6-10 | Catchers 11-15
Top 5 First Basemen | First Basemen 6-10 | First Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Second Basemen | Second Basemen 6-10 | Second Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Shortstops | Shortstops 6-10 | Shortstops 11-15
Top 5 Third Basemen | Third Basemen 6-10 | Third Basemen 11-15
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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