From Willemstad to Worcester, Ceddanne Rafaela Stars Wherever He Goes

Growing up in Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, Ceddanne Rafaela started playing baseball at the young age of three and looked up to his brother, Cezan. Now Cezan is Ceddanne’s biggest fan.

Ceddanne Rafaela is a 22-year-old baseball prospect from Curaçao. He is currently the No. 3–ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline in the Red Sox organization. He plays shortstop and outfield but has made appearances at third base, showcasing his versatility. After Rafaela’s successful performances in the minors, a call-up to Boston may be imminent.

In Curaçao, Rafaela played in the Pariba Little League, where his team won the Caribbean region to qualify for the Little League World Series. Curaçao made it to the third round in Williamsport before a tough Mexico team knocked them out.

“It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done, I had always wanted to play in the Little League World Series,” Rafaela says.

For a lot of kids, Little League is the end of their baseball careers. Maybe they play in high school—and if they're really successful they could play in college. But Rafaela took that a step further and went pro.

In July 2017 the Boston Red Sox signed Rafaela to a minor league contract, and by 2018 he was playing for the DSL Red Sox. When Rafaela got his first paycheck from the Red Sox he took his parents out to dinner for the first time. For Rafaela, getting signed by the Red Sox was a dream come true because growing up he was a Sox fan himself.

At age 18 Rafaela played three games for the Class A Red Sox affiliate Lowell Spinners before getting moved to the gulf coast league for the rest of the 2019 season. In 2021 Rafaela’s rise through the minors started with the Salem Red Sox. In 102 games with Salem Rafaela stole 23 bases and knocked ten home runs.

Then came the breakout season. In 2022 Rafaela split time between the High A Greenville Drive and Double A Portland Sea Dogs. He batted .299 with 21 dingers and swiped 28 bags. He also showcased his speed, notching a career high 10 triples. During that 2022 season Rafaela was selected for the Futures Game. 

The 2022 Futures Game took place at Dodger Stadium and several of the players went on to become MLB stars. Some names include Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz. Rafaela looks to add his name to that list in 2024. He stayed at Portland to start the 2023 season and dominated. He batted .294 and stole 30 bases. He did that in 60 games. He also played a huge part in Portland's defense playing multiple positions.

Those performances earned him a call up to the Red Sox’s Triple A–affiliate Worcester Red Sox. The Woo Sox are one step below the MLB, so Rafaela knew he had to perform if he wanted to go to the big leagues. And perform he did. In 2023 with the Woo Sox Rafaela has so far hit 13 home runs and batted .314 in 42 games.

“I’ve been having a lot of fun this past year. I think it’s been my best year,” Rafaela says.

His incredible season has left a lot of people thinking that the Red Sox should call him up come September. His brother Cezan has been advocating on his Twitter page for months saying things like “It’s time” and “give the people what they want.” The noise has been building but Rafaela knows the only thing to do right now is to keep on playing!