Ceddanne Rafaela

Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela (born September 18, 2000) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball center fielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023. Born in Curaçao, Rafaela signed with Boston as an international free agent in July 2017 and made his professional debut in 2018 with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox. He spent the next several years rising through the Red Sox' farm system. Rafaela was selected to the All-Star Futures Game in 2022 before making his major league debut on August 28, 2023, against the Houston Astros. After making Boston's 2024 opening day roster, Rafaela signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension in April, lasting through the 2031 season with a team option for 2032. In 2025, Rafaela hit a home run at Fenway Park on June 4 against the Los Angeles Angels which was recorded as the shortest walk-off home run by any MLB player since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Facing the Detroit Tigers on September 26, Rafaela's walk-off triple clinched the Red Sox' first postseason berth since 2021. At the end of the season, he was awarded the MLB-wide Fielding Bible Award and the American League Gold Glove Award for his center field defense. Rafaela was named to his first All-Star game in 2026.