Breakout Season? Red Sox Champ Sees Under-The-Radar Contributor Erupting
Before the season started for the Boston Red Sox last year, nobody pegged Jarren Duran or Tanner Houck to become All-Stars.
They both turned in breakout seasons in 2024 with Duran even garnering American League MVP votes. So, who could come out of nowhere and surprise fans this season?
It’s easy to forget about Ceddanne Rafaela in Boston’s outfield given Duran’s emergence and the gargantuan amount of hype surrounding Roman Anthony. But Rafaela turned in a solid rookie campaign last season, giving him the perfect foundation to build off with more experience under his belt.
And 2013 Red Sox World Series champion and NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks sees Rafaela having all the tools needed to make a significant impact.
“If he has the ability to play 140-plus games in center field he wins a Gold Glove,” Middlebrooks said on NESN’s “Sox Talk With Will Middlebrooks” podcast. “…We saw the difference he can make, and we saw it in (Monday’s spring training) game as well. Throwing guys out and covering a lot of ground in the outfield tracking balls down. We know what he’s going to do defensively. I don’t think anybody’s worried about that or questioning what he’s going to bring to the table. But it’s finding offensive consistency with his swing decisions.”
Rafaela’s approach at the plate hurt him at times last season. Even though he batted .246 with 15 home runs and 75 RBIs, which led all American League rookies, he struck out 151 times, good for third-highest on the team. Rafaela, who only walked 15 times, struggled to catch up with fastballs up in the zone, which Middlebrooks called Rafaela’s “kryptonite.”
“He could not lay off of it,” Middlebrooks said. “When you know that as a hitter, you start to cheat to it trying to catch up to it and now you find yourself chasing the slider down and away because you’re trying to fix another deficiency in your swing and your approach.”
That gave Rafaela something to work on during the offseason and the 24-year-old made tweaks in his swing mechanics. The results of that change have been very favorable so far with Rafaela batting .300 with two home runs and seven RBIs in spring training.
What kind of offensive production could Rafaela put together in a breakout season? A 20-20 campaign can’t be ruled out as he stole 19 bags last year. He needs to get on base more for that to happen and cut down on his strikeouts, two things definitely in reach for Rafaela.
And if Rafaela, who routinely was on the field in 2024 as he played 152 games, can add a consistent offensive punch to his terrific defense, the Red Sox will undoubtedly be thrilled.
“In spring so far, his at-bats have been phenomenal,” Middlebrooks said. “He is holding his hands a touch lower. His leg kick is a little different. It’s just more him being more efficient to the baseball so he can wait just a touch longer to swing, it gives him a tick longer to make a decision and see the baseball. So far so good. He’s looked really good.”