The Boston Red Sox (8-10) focused much of their attention on strengthening the starting pitching rotation, but the identity of this ballclub will ideally be tied to its lineup. Manager Alex Cora has a number of promising and productive position players he can call upon. The problem, however, is that half the lineup is falling well short of expectations. Triston Casas is one of a few core players who is noticeably struggling in the early portion of the season.The 25-year-old first baseman flashed All-Star upside when he belted 24 home runs and posted a .490 slugging percentage during his rookie 2023 campaign. A rib injury (torn cartilage) decimated his 2024 season, limiting him to only 63 games. The hope is that a healthy Casas establishes himself as one of the best power hitters in baseball.
But he is not looking like the same guy who displayed a wealth of promise in the second half of 2023. The No. 26 overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft has a meager .175 batting average, .242 on-base percentage, .281 slugging percentage and .523 OPS in 16 games for the Red Sox. The extended slump is reminiscent of the brutally slow start he lumbered through as a rookie, so perhaps an ice cold April is just part of the one-of-a-kind Triston Casas experience.
Or, maybe it is not that simple. The 6-foot-4 native of Florida, who is generally lauded for the meticulous approach he takes at the plate, is not exhibiting the poise Boston has become accustomed to seeing. Cora is aware of some of the decision-making issues that are presently plaguing the left-handed hitter.
Red Sox want Triston Casas to stick to the process that helped him break out
“In between. He hasn’t played that much either, and he’s still learning his swing, his craft,” the 2018 World Series-winning skipper said, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “And one thing from Day One that I noticed, when he got called up, there was a lot of conviction behind his plan. Right now, he’s not there.“You can see him taking fastballs in the middle of zone. You can see his takes. They’re a little bit hesitant, 3-2 takes, pitches in the zone that he will usually at least foul it off, he’s not doing that. He’s not walking either. And that’s a part of his game.”
People will talk about Casas’ eccentric nature or his endless gift of gab, which is magnified following the release of Netflix’s “The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox,” but he can silence all the chatter by having good at-bats. Casas is unlikely to boost his numbers until he regains his confidence at the dish.
He aims to get on track in Tuesday’s road game versus the Tampa Bay Rays.
