6. Triston Casas
The Red Sox spent their first round pick in 2018 on Triston Casas. He only got four at-bats in during 2018 thanks to an injury, but there are a number of reasons to be excited about him.
It’s hard to grade someone when the only real frame of reference is High School. That being said, Casas has a lot of the tools to be a star.
The 18-year-old is already a mammoth 6’4″, 238 lbs – and that plays right into his style. Speed is the only thing that isn’t already average or above-average for Casas. As he matures, I can’t imagine him picking up speed. It’s not part of his game now, so there’s no real reason to focus on improving it.
Casas could move forward as either a first baseman or a third baseman. Of course, those are the two most loaded positions the Red Sox have in their minors. It would be better for Casas to take up first base though, for two reasons.
First of all, the position isn’t as crowded as third base (there’s still two third base prospects on this list left to be revealed).
Second, although his strong arm plays well at third and he’s solid at the position – first base would be perfect for his frame. As mentioned before, Casas isn’t exactly light on his feet, and that will be masked more at first. He still has a strong arm and good glove work. There are also solid instincts and footwork in the mix. With all of this, he could become an above-average first baseman.
Offensively, Casas grades as a beast. The left-handed hitter looks like a professional at the plate. He has great plate discipline and doesn’t strike out at alarming rates. He should be able to hit for solid averages.
Casas also hits for power – a lot of it. He hits the ball hard and can do it to all parts of the field. There’s a lot to like about Casas, but this is clearly the crown jewel of his game. Should turn into a 30-plus home run hitter for the Red Sox within a few years. The fact that he could be above-average at nearly everything else as well is just icing.