Inside The Red Sox

Highly-Touted Red Sox Prospect Launches 20th Home Run With MLB Call-Up Due Soon

Boston has been watching the rising star closely this season

Scott Neville

Highly-Touted Red Sox Prospect Launches 20th Home Run With MLB Call-Up Due Soon
Highly-Touted Red Sox Prospect Launches 20th Home Run With MLB Call-Up Due Soon /
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The Boston Red Sox have seen an influx of young talent brewing thanks to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom's revamped farm system.

While the big-league club has fallen short of their postseason aspirations thus far -- with time ticking -- it's clear that the future of the organization is bright. One of the top prospects in the organization has shown a rare five-tool ability that Boston will benefit from in the near future.

The Red Sox's No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, versatile Ceddanne Rafaela, just launched his 20th home run this season and continues to look the part of a future star.

The 22-year-old broke out last season and has continued to dominate at each level he's appeared in. Listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, the defensive acumen, speed and contact were apparent but his power was logically put into question. Rafaela has put those worries to bed as those in the organization continue to compare him to former Red Sox superstar Mookie Betts.

Rafaela is hitting .302 with 54 extra-base hits including the aforementioned 20 home runs, 79 RBIs and .869 OPS in 108 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He's also swiped 36 bases in 49 attempts and many scouts believe his defense is so strong that he could win a Major League Baseball Gold Glove right now.

The rising star has been strongest in center field but also has logged 15 appearances at shortstop this season and could fill a super-utility role upon his call-up. He's played just about every position leading up to 2023 and many believe he's above average everywhere except first base and catcher.

Update: The Red Sox have called up Rafaela to the big-league roster in place of Wilyer Abreu -- who is on paternity leave. Rafaela is not expected to stick on the roster until some point next season but will have a shot to prove his worth in the coming days.

More MLB: Red Sox Claim Hard-Throwing Veteran Off Waivers To Bolster Bullpen Depth

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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