Red Sox: Triston Casas showing why he’s organization’s top prospect

Boston Red Sox prospect Triston Casas is heating up in Double-A

Triston Casas is thriving in Double-A Portland and if he keeps up his recent success, the top prospect in the Boston Red Sox farm system could skyrocket through the minor league levels ahead of schedule.

The 21-year-old was already the consensus choice as the organization’s No. 1 prospect but his limited experience kept him off the radar for some fans. Casas spent nearly the entire 2019 season playing for Low-A Greenville with only a two-game sample from High-A Salem at the end of that season. Last year’s cancelled minor league season hindered our ability to evaluate his progress at a pivotal stage of his development.

Casas was prompted to Double-A Portland to begin this season and quickly adapted to the challenge. He sputtered out of the gate, hitting .182 with only two RBI through his first six games. A slow start was to be expected from a hitter who had never played above Single-A before.

We didn’t need to wait long for the anticipated breakout game. In only his seventh game at the Double-A level, Casas erupted with a four-hit game, including a pair of home runs and six RBI. He has collected at least one hit in 9 of his last 11 games and has seven multi-hit games during that stretch.

In his latest appearance on Sunday, Casas blasted a three-run homer that put the game out of reach in the ninth inning of a 7-2 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The bomb was a no-doubter off the bat that sailed over everything to leave the ballpark.

This was his fourth home run of the season and gave him 16 RBI, both of which are tied for fifth in the Double-A Northeast. Casas is now third with 22 hits and he’s batting .328 with a .952 OPS.

MLB.com has Casas ranked as the top prospect in the Red Sox system and No. 34 overall. He’ll continue to rise on this list as long as he keeps producing and could crack the top-10 by the end of he year.

Casas has impressive raw power and quick bat speed but he’s more than just a typical slugger. He has shown advanced control of the strike zone and hits the ball to all fields rather than getting too pull-happy trying to blast homers. This bodes well for his ability to hit for average while maintaining his strong power potential.

The Red Sox aren’t going to rush Casas but they should be willing to challenge him. He only has 17 games under his belt in Double-A and that’s clearly not enough but if he keeps crushing the ball then a promotion this summer should be considered. The Red Sox front office seems less inclined than previous regimes to allow their top prospects to skip a level but his stint in Triple-A shouldn’t last long if he proves he can handle it. Casas could be battling for a spot on the major league roster next spring and a September call-up this year can’t be ruled out.

Boston has room for improvement at first base on their major league roster. Bobby Dalbec was expected to be in the Rookie of the Year conversation but he’s struggling to the tune of a .206 average and .659 OPS. Michael Chavis was demoted back to Triple-A Worcester. Danny Santana has made a strong first impression but his versatility has more value if he isn’t locked into first base.

A mid-season upgrade might be in order if the current options don’t turn things around but anyone the Red Sox acquire for the position should come with a short-term commitment. Casas is clearly the future at the position and his arrival could be coming sooner than we expected.