Ceddanne Rafaela’s season took a brief detour when he landed on the injured list, but that hasn’t changed the outlook on his defensive hardware. MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan, Brian Murphy, and Jason Foster have Rafaela pegged to win the American League Gold Glove in center field, and the case is built on a season-long run of elite work in the outfield.
The Red Sox center fielder already owns a Gold Glove from last season, and MLB.com’s trio pointed to the same kind of highlight-reel impact again this year. “When healthy, there's no one better at that spot in the junior circuit. Rafaela, a first-time Gold Glove Award winner last season, has made the most five-star catches of any player in the Majors (nine),” they wrote.
The numbers back up the eye test. Baseball Savant has Rafaela tied for fourth in MLB in Fielding Run Value during the 2026 season, and his 15 FRV leads all American League outfielders. That total is second in the AL overall only to Bobby Witt Jr.’s 17, and among all outfielders it trails only Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 27 FRV.
Even with Rafaela sidelined in September, the race doesn’t look especially close. Tristan Peters is second among AL center fielders with a 10 FRV, which still leaves a sizable gap to close. It would take a huge finish from Peters or another center fielder to catch Rafaela now.
So while the IL stint is an unfortunate interruption, it doesn’t appear to be enough to knock Rafaela off the Gold Glove track. His defense has been too consistent, too valuable, and too far ahead of the pack for much of the season.
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