It was a long offseason for the Boston Red Sox, but they are in a good position with Spring Training now here.
Boston won 89 games in 2025 and spent the offseason tinkering with the starting rotation and also added Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin. On paper, the Red Sox have arguably the best rotation in baseball with Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo. While this is the case, there has been a lot of negativity out there, specifically about the offense. Boston lost a right-handed bat in Alex Bregman. It took a while to replace him, but the combination of Durbin and Contreras should do the trick.
Red Sox fans also shouldn't forget the talent already on the roster. This is a young roster that arguably could be even better than in 2025, simply based on internal growth alone. Roman Anthony is the guy who is going to get a lot of buzz throughout camp, but another guy Red Sox fans should be fired up about right now is center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
In 2025, Rafaela slashed .249/.295/.414 with 16 homers, 63 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and 84 runs scored in 156 games played. He was a 4.7-WAR player, and he didn't turn 25 years old until September. If there is a breakout candidate on the roster — outside of Anthony — it's Rafaela.
Rafaela had the production that he did while walking just 28 times in 156 games. Obviously, that's not a lot. He increased his on-base percentage from .274 in 2024 to .295 in 2025. If he could take a similar leap in 2026, that would be enough. This guy can really hit. And, again, he's just 25 years old.
If you're looking for someone who can be a breakout candidate in 2026, it's Rafaela.