2: 1B Triston Casas
What to look for: An MLB debut
Triston Casas entered the 2021 season as both the best hitter and the top-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system, and he lived up to the lofty expectations. It didn’t start off so hot, however, as he struggled moving back and forth between the U.S Olympic team and the Sea Dogs and hit just .272 with six home runs through mid-July.
When he returned in early August, he was a changed player. He hit .302 with seven home runs in 30 games before earning a call-up to Triple-A Worchester. Casas’s production dipped upon his debut with the Woo Sox, but he still worked eight walks and had an .866 OPS.
Even with the underwhelming start of the season, Casas ended the season the same place he started it: As one of the top prospects in baseball.
There’s no secret to Casas’s profile. He doesn’t run well, and while he has good hands in the field, his large frame prevents him from being a good defender. Casas needs to hit to provide value to a baseball team, but fortunately for him, he hasn’t seen any level of pitching that he can’t mash.
He pairs his plus power with a tremendous eye and an overall above-average hit tool. While Casas has only played nine games above the Double-A level, all signs point to him being an All-Star caliber hitter.
Casas has nothing left to prove at the minor league level. Whether it be Single-A, Double-A, pandemic summer camp, or the U.S Olympic team, Casas has impressed at every stop. And though the Red Sox will likely send him to a tune-up at the Triple-A level, it’s only a matter of time before he adds the majors to that list.