Wilyer Abreu has company as Ceddanne Rafaela breaks out for the Red Sox

Since last season, the Boston Red Sox’s best young player has been Wilyer Abreu. A two-time Gold Glove winner in the hardest right field in baseball, Abreu also has the ability to consistently hit the ball out of the park. 

However, it seems the Red Sox may have a new young outfielder to truly rally around, and it’s not Roman Anthony. Instead, it’s their Gold Glove center fielder, Ceddanne Rafaela. 

Rafaela was a defensive-minded only player 

For the past two years, Rafaela has not really been anything special at the plate. In 2024, he slashed .246/.274/.390/.664 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 75 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 152 games. 

In 2025, he upped his numbers a bit, slashing .249/.295/.414/.708 with 34 doubles, 16 home runs, 63 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 156 games. 

He’s always been a defensive menace though, as he just won his first Gold Glove last year at 24 years old, and was a Platinum Glove contender. 

This year is finally the breakthrough

Imagn Images

However, this season it seems Rafaela has finally overtaken Abreu as the best young slugging outfielder. This season, he’s hitting .287/.348/.441/.789 with 12 doubles, five home runs, 24 RBI and six stolen bases in 57 games played.

His AVG of .287 and OPS of .789 have finally surpassed Abreu’s, whose average sits at .283 and .780. Abreu does have two more home runs and four more RBI, but it really seems like the value Rafaela brings is in better moments. 

The sky is the limit

© David Butler II-Imagn Images

Now, Rafaela is only 25 years old, and is on an incredibly cost-effective eight-year, $50 million contract. He’s only in year three of it, and he actually has a club option for a ninth year. 

If this is the new baseline for Rafaela, the Red Sox will have arguably the best center fielder in baseball for almost the next decade at a great price.

Hopefully, Rafaela is only getting started, and the Red Sox get a player who can be a franchise cornerstone for a long time.

MORE MLB NEWS

Franklin Arias' rise could pair perfectly with Marcelo Mayer in Boston

Red Sox may be paying the price for Craig Breslow's biggest roster decisions

Anthony Seigler could be the latest Red Sox call-up to spark a struggling offense