It's no secret that the Red Sox have one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball in Ceddanne Rafaela, and he has his sights set on a Platinum Glove next season.
Rafaela is arguably the best defensive centerfielder in the game. He won a Gold Glove last season and led the American League in outfield assists from center field. He recently told the Boston Herald's Gabrielle Starr that he wants to win the Platinum Glove after winning a Gold Glove last season.
“I aim for more,” Rafaela said, per Starr on Tuesday. “That’s the goal, to win another (Gold Glove) and then to win the Platinum this year.”
Rafaela's plus-21 outs above average had him in the 99th percentile last season. He was in the 86th percentile with an arm value of plus-two and the 97th percentile for arm strength. He had a plus-22 fielding run value overall. Rafaela always figured to become an elite defender in the big leagues, but there is no doubt now that he can be one of the best defenders in the game.
As a prospect, he had a 70-grade fielding tool. It's no surprise that he is at a level where he can think about winning platinum gloves. If he can pull it off, he would be the first Red Sox player to win a Platinum Glove since the award became official in 2011.
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