Red Sox
“I want the ball every single time.”
Triston Casas’ first full campaign up in the MLB ranks hasn’t always gone according to plan.
Through the first month of the 2023 campaign, the 23-year-old infielder was batting just .133 with 27 strikeouts in 75 at-bats.
After Casas’ rough night in the field contributed to an extra-innings loss to the Rockies last week, Alex Cora mapped out a defensive shakeup that featured fewer reps for Casas at first.
“There are a few things we have recognized,” Cora said of Casas’ defensive play, as transcribed by MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “This kid, when he came up last year, we thought he was going to be a great defender, and there are a few things he’s not doing, so we’re working with him as far as his pre-pitch and some things we have to clean up with decisions on ground balls, and we’ll keep working with him.”
Granted, every young pro baseball player goes through their fair share of ups and downs over the span of a full 162-game slate.
But even when the results haven’t been there at the plate or in the field, Casas hasn’t wavered in terms of his internal belief.
And that bounce-back attitude has started to translate onto the box score.
Since Cora’s foreboding message, Casas has still started five of Boston’s last six games. Entering Monday night, the rookie was batting .417 over his last four games (5-for-12) with two doubles and three RBI. He later swatted a moonshot two-run home run over the Twins on Monday.
Even though the results haven’t always been there, Casas believes he’s still developing into an impact player in this Red Sox lineup.
“I think I’m a difference-maker,” Casas said on WEEI’s postgame show after driving in two runs in Boston’s 4-1 win over the Yankees on Sunday. “I want the ball every single time. I think all the infielders are a little more confident when I’m over there. My size makes a difference and my footwork is immaculate.
“Those are the things we are working on, just things we are fine-tuning because we are perfectionists in this organization. I think I’m a really good first baseman and in the future my defense is going to be alright.”
Despite the expected growing pains, Casas has started to gain more traction at the plate with each new month on the MLB calendar.
Entering Monday night, Casas is batting .260 in June (62 plate appearances) with a home run, four doubles and 12 walks. As noted by Red Sox Director of Baseball Communications J.P. Long, Casas’ on-base percentage has gone from .283 in March/April to .403 in June.
While the Red Sox continue to try and gain traction in the AL East standings, the development of youngsters like Triston Casas and Brayan Bello should offer some optimism about the future of the organization.
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