One of the knocks that fans of the Boston Red Sox have had about the team this year is a lack of depth at first base. It's not the only issue, but it is a rather glaring one.
Triston Casas has struggled out of the gate. He appears to be turning it around, and honestly, I'm not worried about him at all. However, if his slump at the plate continues, where do the Sox go from there?
Romy González has been a good utility player, but his abilities at first base leave something to be desired. In Triple-A, Nathan Hickey has looked much better with the bat in 2025, but he's newer to the position and has never been known for his defense in the first place.
Then there's Alex Binelas. The left-handed hitting first baseman is a decent enough defender. He also boasts some sneaky athleticism. In 2023, he had two triples and 13 steals in 15 attempts. Then, in 2024, he had five triples and 14 steals in 15 attempts.
Could Alex Binelas be a legitimate depth option at first base for the Red Sox?
Speaking of 2024, Binelas had the best season of his Red Sox career last year. As part of the trade return for Hunter Renfroe, Binelas was viewed as the better prospect compared to David Hamilton at the time. That flipped after Hamilton took the minors by storm with his ridiculous speed.
Binelas struggled in 2022. He hit .206 with 147 strikeouts in 500 plate appearances (29.4% K rate) between High-A and Double-A. The 25 home runs were a plus, though.
Then, in 2023, Binelas saw the power dip (16 home runs), but the average went up to a more respectable .223. He struck out at a much higher clip, though. 115 strikeouts in 328 plate appearances was good for a 35.1% K rate.
2024 gave us the best version of Binelas. The Louisville product slashed .252/.353/.413 with 13 doubles, five triples (career-high), and nine home runs between Double-A and Triple-A. He drove in 60 runs, scored 46 more, and stole 14 bases (a career-high, and as mentioned before, he did it efficiently.
Most importantly, his strikeout rate was down considerably. Binelas struck out just 92 times in 363 plate appearances. That's 25.3%, down almost 10% from the previous year.
This season, Binelas is slashing .292/.370/.458 with one double and one home run. He's driven in five runs, scored seven more, and stolen one base. The strikeouts have been an issue (11 in 27 plate appearances), but it's early in the year, he's gotten sporadic playing time, and he's only had 40 total plate appearances in Triple-A.
Binelas has flashed the leather at first base a decent amount. His game features good pop (the home runs are down, but when he does hit them, they tend to be massive). He can even get tricky on the basepaths and showcase enough speed and IQ to get some extra bases and steal some bags.
It's true that first base depth isn't the biggest strength for the Red Sox. However, they have some intriguing options. Binelas is off to a good start to 2025. The 24-year-old should be right near the top of that list.