Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela making case as one of best players in MLB

Billy Heyen

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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela making case as one of best players in MLB image

Down a run, Ceddanne Rafaela provided the Boston Red Sox with two.

In fact, the star centerfielder left Fenway Park entirely with a towering, two-run, walk-off home run on Friday night.

It's just the latest amazing feat for a guy proving himself to be one of the best players in baseball, at least right now.

In his last 30 games, Rafaela has a .985 OPS, including seven home runs.

He's also accounted for 15 outs above average this season as one of the best defenders on the planet.

And look at these scenes:

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The interesting thing about Rafaela's resurgence is that he hasn't changed his approach. He still swings early and often and at a lot of pitches outside the zone.

The difference appears like it might be mechanical. He has cleaned up his swing itself, and it's working.

Right now, Rafaela doesn't miss a pitch to hit.

Even if he regresses to a worse hitter, his defense makes him immensely valuable.

And if Rafaela keeps hitting like this, he'll become one of the most indispensable players in a Red Sox uniform.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle