Ceddanne Rafaela Needs to Play Center Field for the Remainder of the Season

I get what Alex Cora is trying to do by playing Ceddanne Rafaela at second from time to time. It allows for everyone jumbled in the outfield logjam, minus Rob Refsnyder, to play at the same time, and that should mean that the offense is as potent as possible. Roman Anthony gets to play his future position in left, Jarren Duran shifts to center where he has been passable in the past, and Wilyer Abreu gets to shine in right field. The issue here is moving Rafaela out of center field, a position where he likely will win a Platinum Glove at some point in his career, is maddening. The defensive value that Rafaela brings to center outweighs any issues caused by moving other players to second base while the team still tries to figure out how to navigate the position after Marcelo Mayer went on the injured list with a wrist injury. While Mayer’s bat had been less than ideal for the Sox, his defensive abilities made up for that. Losing him stung on defense, but taking your best outfield defender and shifting him into the infield isn’t the right move. 

Offensively, Rafaela is a shell of himself when he’s playing second base. He’s had 66 plate appearances at second and he’s currently slashing .143/.182/.159. He’s struck out 15 times with 45 whiffs, and walked only three times. He’s had only nine hits, with zero home runs, and his hard-hit percentage is an abysmal 20.8%. His average exit velocity clocks in at 82 mph. When he’s in center though, he’s a completely different offensive player. There, he’s slashing .277/.318/.483. He’s had 97 hits with 14 home runs. He’s struck out 70 times and the walks, of course, are still low at 17. However, his hard-hit rate jumps to 46.1% and his average exit velocity is 90.7 mph. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is frustratingly hot and cold, but he at least looks comfortable at the plate. Second base Rafaela feels more like a bottom-of-the-order hitter who is only on the roster because he’s a solid defender. He looks like he’s pressing more when he’s playing second instead of naturally letting the game come to him by searching for his pitches and capitalizing on mistakes. 

Defensively, Rafaela has a case to be the best center fielder in the game. He makes even the most difficult plays look routine. Anything hit to center feels like an automatic out with him roaming there because he has the perfect combination of speed and baseball IQ to take the correct routes to fly balls.. He’s sure-handed with his glove and, typically, his relay throws are on point. Sure, he’s sailed a few and thrown to the wrong base now and then, but the positives vastly outweigh the negatives. His Outs Above Average in center? An astonishing 15. He’s also been good for 16 Defensive Runs Saved, if that's more your speed. At second base, though, his OAA and DRS are both -1. He sort of passes the eye test at second because he’s making routine plays and even some more difficult ones, but the underlying numbers are what they are. He’s a liability on both sides of the baseball when he’s at second.

Maybe the biggest issue, though, is the Red Sox have to play Ceddanne Rafaela at his natural position once the postseason gets here. The absolute worst-case scenario will be having him start games at second and then shifting to center in the late innings. That puts him out of position for the bulk of the game and forces him to hit while he’s not in his usual head space. Instead, the Red Sox should have him stick in center and build the line up around that. Ideally, the Red Sox will run an outfield of Roman Anthony in left, Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right, with Jarren Duran at DH through the postseason. That is their best offensive lineup, even with Masataka Yoshida leading the team in OPS over the last 15 games. Abraham Toro’s lack of offensive production makes the conversation a bit more difficult, but with the team bringing in Nathaniel Lowe, Romy Gonzalez now has the runway to shift to second base as needed through the playoffs. Gonzalez deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis and plays a capable second base. Someone like Nate Eaton (or David Hamilton) could also get some starts at the keystone, especially if the goal is to keep Gonzalez on the bench against right-handed pitchers. The point is: There’s plenty of options for the Red Sox to keep Rafaela in center field from here on out.

In conclusion, Rafaela needs to be in center field full time for the remainder of the season as the Red Sox make a push for the playoffs. He’s the best defender on the team and his natural position is of the utmost importance defensively. On top of that, he seems far more comfortable at the plate as a center fielder. Alex Cora has done a lot of things right for the Red Sox this year, but shuffling Rafaela around isn’t one of them. Play your best players at their best positions, and the rest will figure itself out.