The Boston Red Sox have relied on several rookies to contribute in 2024, but only one is set to make a historic impact as the season reaches its midpoint.
Sedan Raffaella started at shortstop in the Red Sox’s 9-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night. He finished with 3 hits in 4 at-bats and one double.
Raffaella has played in 79 games this season as a shortstop and center fielder, batting .245 with eight home runs, 13 doubles, two triples, 41 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, a .668 OPS and a 1.1 WAR.
According to graphs shown during Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball” broadcast, Rafaela becomes just the second Red Sox rookie in history to record 20-plus extra-base hits, 40-plus RBIs and 10-plus stolen bases before the All-Star break, the only other player to do so was Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.
Nooooooo pic.twitter.com/bLsk2g0aqt
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) June 29, 2024
Garciaparra had 38 extra-base hits before the Midsummer Classic compared to Rafaela’s 23, but Rafaela has room to improve on that total in the next two weeks. Garciaparra also played in the 1997 All-Star Game, but it seems unlikely Rafaela will repeat that streak in 2024.
In 1997, Garciaparra batted .306 with a .875 OPS and 6.6 WAR while leading the league in hits and triples and winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. He won consecutive batting titles in 1999 and 2000 and was a five-time All-Star during his nine seasons with the Red Sox.
Boston may very well have the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year on their team, but it may not be Rafaela.
Outfielder Willy Abreu has a 1.5 WAR and infielder David Hamilton has a 1.3 WAR, and the two, along with Rafaela, are projected to be among the top eight contenders for AL Rookie of the Year.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil remains the favorite to win the championship, but that doesn’t mean the three Red Sox rookies aren’t still going somewhere.
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