Ademar Rifaela

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #27 prospect in 2018
  A native of Curacao, Rifaela's minor league breakout season in 2017 mirrored that of his mentor, fellow Curacaoan Jonathan Schoop. After he repeated low Class A Delmarva in 2016, Rifaela took advantage of regular playing time for the first time in years and hit a career-best .284/.358/.500 with 24 home runs and 23 doubles to earn the Carolina League most valuable player award. Undersized but physically mature at a listed 5-foot-10, Rifaela generates above-average raw power from the left side and translated that into games in 2017, and has shown the ability to handle fastball velocity. That's fed by an overly aggressive approach, one that led to 124 strikeouts in 126 games in 2017. While he doesn't project to be more than an average outfielder and is a below-average runner, the quiet, assured way in which he went about his breakout season impressed the organization. Rifaela could serve as a lefthanded platoon bat in the major leagues, but will be challenged by more advanced secondary pitches at Double-A Bowie in 2018 and beyond.