BOSTON (DA) — Ceddanne Rafaela opened the season with two hits and an RBI while making his third straight Opening Day start in center field for the Boston Red Sox, putting him in rare team company.
Rafaela singled in the fifth inning and added an RBI single in the seventh on Thursday to give Boston a 1-0 lead.
At age 25 or younger, Rafaela became just the fourth Red Sox player to make at least three Opening Day starts in center field. The others were Tris Speaker, Gary Geiger and Reggie Smith.
Rafaela also carried a four-game hitting streak into the new season. Since Sept. 26, he is 7 for 15 with a run, two doubles, a triple, two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base.
The 2025 season marked another step forward for Rafaela. He won his first American League Gold Glove Award in center field, earned the Fielding Bible Award at the position and was named Red Sox Defensive Player of the Year by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for the second straight year.
He also led major league outfielders in outs above average with 22 and finished second in defensive runs saved with 20.
At the plate, Rafaela set career highs in 2025 in games played, hits, home runs, doubles, runs, walks and stolen bases while posting a career-best .249/.295/.414 slash line.