Red Sox first base prospect Triston Casas
The production that the Red Sox are receiving at first base has been abysmal, ranking last in the majors at the position with a .111 average, .178 OBP and .376 OPS. This team can’t afford to go much longer without getting results at a position that typically provides a productive bat.
That means we should be getting close to the highly anticipated arrival of Triston Casas.
Casas fell into a minor slump last week, going through a four-game stretch without a hit over 15 at-bats. Believe it or not, it’s not a bad thing to see him struggle. We need to see top prospects hit a rough patch to evaluate how they work their way out of it. Casas is 5-for-9 with two doubles and a homer in his last two games. It’s safe to say he passed that test with flying colors.
Casas now has five home runs and 16 RBI in 23 games. The brief slump caused his batting average to slip to .262 but he still owns a very strong .388 OBP.
One aspect of his game that might be holding him back is his struggles against left-handed pitching. Casas is hitting only .136/.269/.390 without an extra-base hit against lefties.
The Red Sox can work around that one flaw by using Casas in a platoon role. As poorly as Bobby Dalbec has produced this season, he’s historically been much better against left-handed pitching with a career .269/.321/.546 slash line against them. Let Bobby Diesel mash against lefties while Casas handles the bulk of the playing time at first base. Neither has proven they can thrive without the platoon advantage but together, they make a formidable pair.
Casas has the potential to develop into a star down the road but the Red Sox need help right now. Even if they need to ease him in with a part-time role, the promotion of a top prospect has the potential to provide the spark the Red Sox need to awaken their dormant offense.