NEW YORK (DA) — Curaçao native Ceddanne Rafaela was named American League Player of the Week on Monday after powering the Boston Red Sox with five home runs and 11 RBIs across seven games.
Rafaela batted .419, going 13-for-31 with two doubles, two stolen bases, a .968 slugging percentage and a .419 on-base percentage. The 25-year-old led the majors in home runs, RBIs and total bases with 30 while tying for the lead in hits and extra-base hits with seven.
It is the first Player of the Week award of Rafaela’s career. He became the third Boston player to receive the honor this season, joining Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu.
Rafaela homered in all three games of Boston’s sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. He hit two home runs Saturday for the second multi-homer game of his career.
He joined Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox players to homer in three consecutive games against the Dodgers. Bogaerts accomplished the feat at Fenway Park from July 12-14, 2019.
Rafaela also became the first Boston player with at least four home runs and seven hits in a three-game series since Mookie Betts recorded those totals in April 2018.
The 2026 All-Star began the week by hitting his first career grand slam against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. His sixth-inning homer supplied all of Boston’s runs in a 4-2 victory.
Rafaela has recorded multiple hits in five consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. He has hit safely in seven straight games and in 24 of his 27 games since July 1.
The Red Sox are 50-30 when Rafaela records a hit this season and 25-7 when he finishes with multiple hits.
Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara was named National League Player of the Week after going 2-0 without allowing an earned run over 13 innings in two starts. Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers received MLB’s Play of the Week award for his game-ending leaping catch against the Cleveland Guardians.