Mar 1, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Ceddanne Rafaela (78) runs into second base against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela didn’t just steal one base on Saturday for Double-A Portland. He stole an absurd number of bases.
The Boston Red Sox are off to a good start to the 2023 season. Entering Saturday, May 13, Boston owns a 22-17 record, but sits in fourth place in a ridiculously competitive AL East division. The Red Sox have seen new faces like outfielder Masataka Yoshida and closer Kenley Jansen experience early success.
As it turns out, so is one of their prospects.
The Red Sox’s second-overall prospect, Ceddanne Rafaela, played for Double-A Portland on Saturday and stole what was initially seven bases! You read that right. As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe points out, Rafaela stole second base four times and third base three times.
Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela steals ridiculous number of bases in a game
There was one sequence in Saturday’s game where Rafaela stole two bases. That occurred in the seventh inning in which he stole second and third, and then was able to score at home after a bad throw from the catcher to the pitcher.
Minor League Baseball’s official Twitter account then stepped in to inform the masses that Rafaela had actually only stolen six bases. That is because one of the stolen bases was taken away from him due to “defensive indifference.” With that, he falls short of tying Rickey Henderson’s seven stolen bases recorded in a single game.
With this game in the books, Rafaela has now stolen 16 bases on 19 attempts this season. Additionally, Rafaela recorded a .248 batting average, a .286 on-base percentage, a .336 slugging percentage, one home run, 16 RBI, 17 runs scored and 28 hits in 27 games played.
Rafaela may not have gotten seven stolen bases in the single game, but six is nothing to scoff at.