A year ago this week, Ceddanne Rafaela made his first visit to Fenway, arriving to pick up his award for Top Defensive Player of the Year among all Red Sox minor league prospects.
On Monday, Rafaela returned, having won the same award again.
Someone noted to him that if he's here again next September, it's very likely to be in uniform and part of the 2023 Red Sox.
"That's the main goal,'' he said with a smile. "Not just to come here but come to play here next year.''
Rafaela, who just turned 22 last week, remains on track. This season, he split time between High A and Double A and in 116 games, slashed .299/.342/.538 with 21 homers and 28 stolen bases. He's considered a plus defender at both shortstop and center field, though he focused mostly on the outfield this year.
Almost weekly, it would seem, a highlight of Rafaela making an incredible catch would surface on social media. Several went viral, including a couple that were featured on ESPN's Plays of the Day. Rafaela maintained that his best catch came earlier in the season while at High A. A catch he made in Asheville, N.C. was not captured by video cameras.
"I made a Superman-diving catch,'' said Rafaela recalling his expoits.
In terms of organizational depth, the Red Sox could use some in the outfield. It's a position that's otherwise thin at the upper levels of the organization, and it's not hard to imagine Rafaela arriving in the second half of next season and staking a claim as the team's center fielder of the future.
Still, given his versatility, the Red Sox don't want to pigeon-hole him at just one position.
"Versatility is a huge piece of what we do here as an organization,'' said Brian Abraham, the Red Sox' director of player development. "You see someone like KikΓ© (Hernandez), he plays center field one day, than second base, then even shortstop. I think that's how we see Rafaela. I think obviously, he's done an amazing job in center and we see him as a premier defender there. But the ability to play shortstop, too, you can't let that (talent) go by the wayside. So the ability to play both, I think, is going to be really impactful.
"(Going forward, we'll use him) more in center field, for sure, but definitely keep that time at shortstop pretty consistent. You look at the minor league season, you have six games a week. We'll be looking at probably four to five days in center field and one at shortstop. That's kind of what we did this year and I think that would be consistent moving forward.''
Given his speed and power, Abraham joked that Rafaela could have qualified for any number of the awards the Red Sox presented prior to Monday's game.
"That's a good issue to have,'' said Abraham. "He certainly could have won a couple.''
Then again, that's consistent with Rafaela's reputation as a five-tool player.
His vast skill set, his ability to move from the infield to the outfield and his body type have all led to perhaps inevitable comparisons to Mookie Betts, who had a similar journey through the team's minor league system.
"That's big,'' said Rafaela. "Obviously, he's one of the best players in the league. I've a privilege to be compared to him. But he's Mookie and I'm Rafaela.''
Such talk almost embarrasses Rafaela. It's humbling to be compared to an MVP, but a bit off-putting, too. Talk about unrealistic expectations.
"It's certainly exciting to hear that,'' acknowledged Abraham, "but Mookie Betts is Mookie Betts. What he did here, and what he continues to do with the Dodgers is incredible. I think Ceddanne is happy that he's Ceddanne Rafaela and he'll continue to be his own player. But I think anytime you can compare yourself to some of the greatest players in the game, it's a pretty special achievement.''
Already defensively stellar no matter where he plays in the middle of the diamond, Rafaela spent last winter working on becoming more disciplined at the plate.
"Hard work,'' he recalled. "I worked hard at trying to swing at better pitches and I think that helped me a lot this year offensively.''
Indeed, Rafaela made more regular contact and squared up more balls. His hard-hit ratio increased.
Asked what he needs to do to fulfill his goal of reaching the majors in 2023, Rafaela is straightforward.
"(More of) what I've been working on -- a better approach, maybe,'' he said. "Take balls and swing at strikes.''
And when he finally realizes his dream, what are his expectations? Here, too, Rafaela displays his uncommon maturity by skipping over any personal go
''Of course, help the team win,'' he said, flashing the familar smile. "That's the main focus. That's why I'm here. Try to win a World Series with the Red Sox, that's the main goal.''