3 hitters who can bring much-needed power to Red Sox lineup in 2023
A Red Sox rookie with major power potential: Triston Casas
First base was a wasteland for the Red Sox last season. Boston ranked 28th in the majors at the position with a .210 AVG, 24th with a .369 SLG, and 22nd with 25 home runs. The emergence of Triston Casas will lead to first base being among the most significant upgrades the Red Sox made for this year.
Casas had his first taste of the big leagues at the end of last season. While his woeful .197 batting average suggests he struggled to adapt to the higher level, there were encouraging takeaways from his introduction to the majors.
Triston showed a keen batting eye with an elite 20.0 BB% during his brief time with the Red Sox. His penchant for drawing walks resulted in a strong .358 OBP despite the disappointing AVG. His knack for getting on base will keep him in the lineup through the expected slumps that most rookies endure as they adjust to this level.
He hasn't hit more than 20 home runs in a season at any of the minor league levels but he has posted a slugging percentage of at least .480 in each of the last three years, including a .500 SLG in the minors last year.
He only hit 12 homers in Triple-A last year but he was limited to 76 games by an injury in addition to his time away for the Olympics. Casas led Team USA to a silver medal by leading the tournament with three home runs. Casas hit five home runs in only 76 at-bats with the Red Sox last season, proving he's capable of taking major league pitchers deep.
Triston Casas' swing focuses on driving the ball and getting on base, but the hulking first baseman has the raw power to leave the yard without swinging for the fences every time. The 23-year-old is expected to develop into a power threat and we should see him begin to emerge in his first full season.
A Red Sox outfielder with an impressive power-hitting track record: Adam Duvall
The Adam Duvall signing flew a bit under the radar during the eventful off-season for the Red Sox, but he has tremendous power upside. The veteran outfielder has three seasons with 30+ homers under his belt, including a career-high 38 in 2021.
Duvall underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist last July, limiting him to only 86 games. His 12 home runs were the fewest he has hit in any season in which he appeared in at least 50 games.
Duvall has been above average with a Hard Hit rate of over 40.0% in each of the last three seasons and he ranked in the top 10% of the league in Max Exit Velocity in two of the last three years, per Baseball Savant.
His right-handed bat helps balance a Red Sox lineup that is otherwise more left-hand dominant, and his pull-heavy approach makes Duvall a great fit for Fenway Park where he can target the Green Monster. Duvall has a 33.5 Pull% for his career. Nine of his 12 home runs last season were blasted to left field.
Duvall's profile is similar to Hunter Renfroe, another right-handed pull hitter who the Red Sox acquired in the wake of a down season. Fenway helped Renfroe turn in the best year of his career in 2021, and it just may do the same for Duvall.
Now that he's healthy, expect Adam Duvall to return to the 25+ homer threat that we've seen in the past.
A Red Sox superstar at the hot corner: Rafael Devers
It should come as no surprise that the best hitter in the Red Sox lineup, Rafael Devers, is also the team's greatest power threat. Rafael Devers comfortably led all Red Sox hitters with 27 home runs in 2022, to go along with a .521 SLG and a .879 OPS.
However, his strong production last year felt mildly disappointing based on the sky-high expectations that are set for him. Rafael Devers smashed a career-high 38 home runs the previous season. He tallied 32 homers in 2019 when he led the majors with 54 doubles and set a career-high with a .916 OPS.
Devers was outstanding in the first half of last season, hitting .324 with a .981 OPS and 22 home runs in 86 games. He was well on his way to a career year until he was derailed by a hamstring injury that sent him to the IL in late July.
It was clear that Devers was still hampered by the hammy when he returned to the lineup in August. He wasn't running well and his swing appeared to be out of tune. Devers had a horrible month, hitting .164/.226/.289 with only three home runs in 26 games. He recovered to finish the season strong in September but sputtering through the worst month of his career put a damper on his overall production last season.
Even when accounting for his summer slump, Devers remained among the elite in the Statcast categories. He rated in the 96th percentile in Hard Hit% and 98th percentile in Exit Velocity according to Baseball Savant.
Rafael Devers is already a two-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger award winner, but the 26-year-old has only scratched the surface of his potential. Devers likely hasn't reached his ceiling on offense or defense, but, with the security of a long-term extension that solidifies his role as the face of the franchise, he is poised to make another leap this season.