FORT MYERS, Fla. – Within the coming months, Ceddanne Rafaela hopes to examine two packing containers off his bucket record:
Be teammates with a Pink Sox nice he’s regarded as much as for over a decade, and have a season worthy of a defender’s highest honor.
The primary merchandise is already down on paper within the type of Crew Netherlands’ World Baseball Basic roster.
“I used to be wanting as much as him once I was arising within the group,” Rafaela advised the Herald of Xander Bogaerts. “Didn’t occur, so I’m actually excited to be near him and be taught.”
Bogaerts and Rafaela share a particular bond, regardless of by no means overlapping on Boston’s big-league roster. They hail from Aruba and Curaçao, respectively, two of the three ABC Islands off the coast of Venezuela which might be a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 23,615 males have performed Main League Baseball, however they’re two of simply 23 gamers from their native islands.
When Bogaerts debuted for the 2013 Pink Sox, he grew to become the fifth of now six Aruban gamers in MLB historical past (Chadwick Tromp debuted in 2020). Bogaerts gained two World Collection championships, 5 Silver Slugger awards, and was a four-time All-Star throughout his 10 seasons in Boston. He’s the Pink Sox all-time chief with 1,246 video games at shortstop.
Rafaela, who started his skilled profession as a center infielder within the Pink Sox minor leagues, idolized him. At Fenway Park to obtain a minor league award in 2022, he spoke about Bogaerts’ affect. However by the point the Pink Sox known as up Rafaela late in the summertime of 2023, making him the 17th Curaçaoan player in MLB history, Bogaerts was in his first season with the San Diego Padres. Rafaela performed a number of positions for the Pink Sox and subbed in video games in later innings earlier than making his first profession begin, at Bogaerts’ outdated spot.
“I’ve all the time regarded as much as the participant he’s, the human he’s,” Rafaela told the Herald in 2024, when Bogaerts got here to Fenway for the primary time as a visiting participant (however didn’t play because of a fractured shoulder). “I feel he’s one individual all the time. Doesn’t matter how he’s doing on the sphere, I feel you all the time see him being good to the individuals, he’s being probably the greatest teammates, that’s what I’ve heard. So I feel these kind of issues are the issues I actually respect about him.”
Rafaela hoped the 2 could be teammates through the 2023 World Baseball Basic, but it surely by no means got here to be. As an alternative, they keep up a correspondence, as they’ve achieved since Bogaerts was with Boston and Rafaela was down on the farm. Now, Bogaerts, who still keeps tabs on his old team, watches clips of Rafaela being a human spotlight reel at his outdated stomping grounds with delight.
Bogaerts and Rafaela make sure to catch up at any time when their two groups meet, which due to MLB balancing schedules three years in the past is each season (this yr it’s the Pink Sox dwelling opener). At all times in Papiamento, the language of dwelling.
“Clearly he’s a mentor for lots of youngsters again dwelling in Curacao and Aruba,” Rafaela stated. “And I’m near him, and to be taught from him, I’m very excited.”
Rafaela made a robust case for the utility Gold Glove in 2024, when he grew to become the one participant to play at the very least 60 video games at each shortstop and centerfield in the identical season since MLB’s Trendy Period started in 1901. Taking part in middle full-time in 2025, he earned his first profession Gold Glove.
He plans on repeating, and exceeding, final yr’s standout defensive efficiency this season.
“Clearly generally you hope to do extra,” Rafaela stated. “However you need to be pleased about what the person above gave you, and I’m actually grateful for what I’ve been doing in my profession.”
“Extra” means a Platinum Glove, the award given out to the one finest defender in every league.
“I intention for extra,” Rafaela stated. “That’s the purpose, to win one other (Gold Glove) after which to win the Platinum this yr.”
