MLB Insider Breaks Down Ceddanne Rafaela’s Hot Bat

Boston Red Sox outfielder/infielder Ceddanne Rafaela has been one of the hottest hitters in Major League Baseball over the last month, and on Friday night, launched a two-run walk-off home run to seal an exciting 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

With a 2-for-4 showing, Rafaela extended his hitting streak to eight games, including 10 hits during his last 18 at-bats with three home runs and nine RBIs in that span. Considered an All-Star snub by a growing list of baseball insiders, the talented 22-year-old is currently on track to have a breakout season.

While teammates Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony continue to garner the lion’s share of attention from the wider baseball media circuit, Rafaela is starting to force his way into the discussion with his recent play. Former MLB player and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa dedicated an entire segment on Friday, breaking down Rafaela’s red-hot bat.

“But the first 53 games, if you came in the heart of the zone to this guy, he was hitting 278, slugging 472,” said DeRosa. “Now, last 36 games, 413, batting average. If you’re putting it in the middle of the dish with a 937, slug, all right, so you can’t miss (a pitch) to this guy right now.”

Speaking about how Rafaela has elevated the ball better during his recent hitting streak, DeRosa noted how much his success can be credited to an adjusted launch angle.

“How about his splits by game pull in the air? He’s up it, big time,” said DeRosa. “(His) 9.9% to 22.1, average launch angles increased. And the Weighted Runs Created Plus have doubled and then some.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora has never been afraid to ride the hot hand, and on Saturday, Cora moved Rafaela up to the second spot in the batting order. Also notable, Rafaela will make the start at second base, a move that could become commonplace after the All-Star break if the team chooses to hang on to rumored trade target Jarren Duran.