Ceddanne Rafaela Ranked Among Buster Olney's Top-10 MLB Centerfielders
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was recently placed among ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney’s honorable mentions for the best players at his position entering the 2026 season.
Fellow offseason acquisition Caleb Durbin was also listed as an honorable mention when Olney ranked the top third basemen in baseball.
Red Sox centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela is about to begin his third full big-league season and was included on the longtime MLB reporter’s list of the top 10 players at his position on Thursday.
Olney had the 25-year-old sixth on his ranking, only behind Seattle Mariners All-Star Julio Rodriguez, Chicago Cubs All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong, Toronto Blue Jays Gold Glove award winner Daulton Varsho, Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton and San Diego Padres 2024 All-Star Jackson Merrill.
“His tendency to swing aggressively — even recklessly, at times — can sometimes overshadow just how good of a player he can be. Rafaela had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of about 4-to-1 last season, for an on-base percentage of .295, but he’s got power (54 extra-base hits) and speed (20 stolen bases),” Olney wrote. “He plays center field in Fenway Park fearlessly, which is why he could reasonably be in the conversation for best defender in the game.”
The native of Curacao followed up a solid 2024 campaign with an even better 2025 season.
Rafaela finished last year with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs, tied with outfielder Jarren Duran for the highest wins above replacement (WAR) among position players on the team at 4.7 and won his first career Gold Glove.
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