Red Sox Slugger Ready To Breakout After ‘Flashes Of Greatness’

The second half of the 2023 campaign suggested Triston Casas was primed to become a big-time contributor in the middle of the Boston Red Sox lineup last season.

Casas batted .317 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs following the All-Star break two seasons ago en route to a top-three finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

But the breakout that was expected after that never came. Torn rib cartilage prevented that from happening and limited the 25-year-old first baseman to just 63 games in 2024.

Casas feels at full strength now, crediting a terrific offseason that could put a breakout season back on the table for the left-handed slugger.

“It was probably my best one yet in terms of health, scheduling, just rhythm, the routine,” Casas told reporters from JetBlue Park on Tuesday, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “It was really great. I feel like I’m in the best shape I feel like I’ve been in. All the numbers in the weight room indicate it as well. So hopefully it translates onto the field.”

Casas certainly showed promise during his first two-plus seasons with the Red Sox. The homegrown star, who batted .241 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs last season, knows more is expected of him. And he’s eager to prove he can provide more, first by consistently staying on the field.

“I’ve definitely shown flashes of greatness and that’s appreciated, I guess for a little bit,” Casas said. “But what the fans and my teammates and the coaching staff appreciate is consistency — even if it’s not great numbers. I think just being out there on the field and posting in the lineup as often as possible is gonna have the numbers be where they’re supposed to be.”

Casas still figures to slot in right in the heart of the Red Sox lineup even with Bregman aboard. It’s a place he wants to be as Casas said he doesn’t want the Red Sox to “hide me in the seventh or the eighth spot.”

But Casas potentially hitting cleanup brings a lot of pressure on him. Red Sox manager Alex Cora saw Casas deliver offensively in the past and it will be up to him to show he can do it for a full season this time around.

“I know what he can be,” Cora told reporters, per team-provided video. “It’s our job to keep him healthy, that’s the most important thing. The last three years he’s been banged up. But it’s not lack of work or he doesn’t know his body or he doesn’t do the things that we ask him to do, to be honest with you. Actually, he’s very structured, as you guys know. He matches righties. He’s going to be there every single day. We’re going to challenge him to play every day against righties and lefties. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”