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Physical Description:
Small, athletic. Very twitchy. Has grown since he entered the
organization, but still is relatively slight of frame. Does not
have a frame to add significant weight, but is sneaky strong for
his size.
Hit: Starts slightly open and
utilizes a short, leg lift timing device. Gets his foot down and
gets through with his hands. Quick hands, plus bat speed. Very
aggressive approach that still needs refinement even after
making strides with his swing decisions. Does not walk much and
expands the strike zone often, but has the bat control to put
the ball in play, leading to a lot of weak contact on pitches
outside the zone rather than the strikeouts that might otherwise
result from a similar approach. Will expand the zone
particularly often against secondary pitches; a key for him will
be laying off those down and out of the zone, which he has
struggled with in the minors and is likely to see frequently in
the majors until he proves he will lay off them. Very high chase
rate against minor league arms that could be exposed even
further at the major league level if he does not continue to
improve his swing decisions. Potential fringe-average hit tool.
Power: More power than you would expect for
his size. Produces average-at-best max exit velocities, but
hard-hit rate is slightly above-average. Will show solid-average
raw power in batting practice to all fields. In-game power is
more noticeable to the pull side. Potential fringe-average
in-game power.
Run: Plus speed. Speed
plays both on the bases and in the field. Needs to improve
baserunning instincts. Not really a stolen base threat despite
his speed, producing surprisingly low success rates in the
minors given his speed, especially in Triple-A.
Field: Versatile, standout defender. Has shown the
potential to be a plus defender all around the diamond, but is
best in center field, where projects as plus-plus to elite, and
has gotten the vast majority of his playing time there in 2022
and 2023. Organization has continued to get him reps at
shortstop as well during that time, starting there roughly once
per week. In the outfield, has really good instincts. Takes
really efficient routes and has plus-plus range. Routinely makes
highlight reel plays, not because of poor routes but because he
can get to balls that other players cannot. Exclusively played
the infield in 2018 and 2019, but began playing the outfield in
2021 and immediately showed plus defensive ability there. Named
the farm system's Defensive Player of the Year in both 2021 and
2022. |
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Arm: Plus arm. Quick release. Throws have good
carry, but he will occasionally get overzealous and make an
ill-advised throw.
Career Notes: Played
in the Little League World Series for Curacao in 2012. Was
scouted by former Red Sox pitching prospect Dennis Neuman.
Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2018, 2019, and
2020. Participated in 2021 Fall Performance Program.
Participated in 2022 Winter Warm-Up. Named to the 2022 MLB
Futures Game. Was named SoxProspects.com Player of the Year in
2022. Worked out with Team Netherlands at its Kingdom Series in
November 2022, signaling that he may be considered for the 2023
World Baseball Classic, but ultimately did not participate in
the WBC. Added to the 40-man roster in November 2022 to protect
him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Participated in 2023
Rookie Development Program. Entered 2023 as a consensus top 100
prospect in the game, a status he maintained into 2024.
Summation: Potential defense-first regular.
Projects to add so much value on defense that even if he does
not hit, could hold down a considerable role while hitting at
the bottom of the order. Ceiling of an above-average regular who
adds substantial value on defense and also contributes some at
the plate. Whether he reaches his ceiling depends on how his hit
tool translates at the MLB level. Defensive ability and
versatility and speed give him a high floor, but will have to
keep MLB pitchers from exploiting the aggressiveness evidenced
by his high minor league chase rate. Excelled in Triple-A in
2023, but still needs to cut down on chasing pitches out of the
zone and improve swing decisions and quality of contact. Chase
rate has been remarkably consistent throughout the minors
though, even against higher-quality pitching, so he could just
be an outlier who can get away with an elevated chase rate due
to his strong feel for contact in the zone.
Links
State of the System 2020: Middle Infielders (4.29.2020)
Scouting Scratch: Red Sox 2021 Rule 5 Preview (11.18.2021)
Notes from the Field (5.15.2022)
Scouting the Box Score: The Rise of Ceddanne Rafaela (6.13.2022)
Countdown to Spring Training (3.13.2023)
Spring Training
Video (3.20.2023)
Spring Training
BP Video (3.20.2023) |
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