While the Boston Red Sox have been a middling team this year, there are some players on the roster that have been really fun to watch.
One of those players is Ceddanne Rafaela, who, in his first full year, is making plays almost every night that gets fans out of their seats.
Whether he's making a diving catch in center field, turning two at shortstop or going 4-for-6 with four RBIs like he did on Thursday, the rookie is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
However, it's not just spectators that are in awe of the 23-year-old's abilities, his teammates are just as impressed.
"To watch him up close, the first time I saw him was when I was rehabbing in Double-A, Kiké [Hernandez] was playing center field I think, and he was playing shortstop, and he made a couple amazing plays at shortstop," Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder said on a recent episode of the "310 to Left" podcast with Alex Speier. "I came in the dugout and was like 'This guy's unbelievable at shortstop. What a special [talent].' They were like 'Oh no, Rob. You haven't seen this kid until he's played center field.'
"Then I saw him in Spring Training and then obviously this year. He makes 5% catch probabilities, and he makes them standing up at times. It's hard to, unless you're at the game or watch a lot of the game on television, it's hard to appreciate it. It's glimpes of Jackie [Bradley Jr.] in center field. He has an incredible arm. Hitting, he has just electric bat speed and movements. It's hard to even put a ceiling on a player like that. It's just how much he can impact the game. [I think he can be] a couple time All-Star, game-changer.
"I feel so blessed and thankful that he's our nine hitter. Even when he was not getting the results he wanted, to watch his at-bats in the nine-hole, you're like something could happen every at-bat, and you don't see that very often at the major league level, especially in the nine-hole. He's going to win a couple gold gloves probably, and he's a really nice guy. I'm very thankful that I've been able to watch him play defense and watching him develop, he's made some great adjustments offensively. It's been fun to watch."
In 62 games this season, Raffaela is hitting just .215 with a .617 OPS, but he seems to come through in big spots, and his defense makes up for some of the colder nights.
If he can bring that average up, Boston will look brilliant for giving him an extension at the beginning of the year.
