Ceddanne Rafaela makes tremendous play in the outfield with a 5% catch probability
Watch Ceddanne Rafaela make another elite catch in the outfield for the Red Sox this season.
Ceddanne Rafaela made a tremendous Superman catch in the sixth inning with a runner at second base and one out in the Red Sox 6-3 win over the Tigers at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox rookie sprinted and went full extension in the air to rob the Tigers' Wenceel Pére in right center field. Rafaela’s huge catch had just a 5% catch probability, per Statcast.
“It changed the game right there,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s elite in center.”
Rafaela’s catch changed the tone of the game; following the fantastic catch, he fired the baseball to second base to double off Tigers runner Matt Vierling.
It ended the inning and kept the Red Sox ahead 3-1. Boston then scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 5-1 lead.
“Everything that they hit in the air and stays in the ballpark, I believe our fielders are going to catch it,” Cora said.
MLB.com’s Ian Browne posted on X that only nine plays with a 5% catch probability or less have happened in the bigs this season.
“Now that everything has settled down and Hammy has been able to slow down the game, he (Rafaela) is elite. He’s a game-changer,” Cora said. “That’s the reason he made the team. It wasn’t the offense. It was his defense, something we were lacking last year. And this year, it’s different. It’s a lot different.”
