Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas isn’t satisfied with just being good—he wants to be elite.
Limited to just 63 games last season due to torn cartilage in his left rib cage, Casas saw his potential breakout campaign derailed. He worked through rehab assignments and returned before the season finale, but with the Red Sox missing the postseason for the third straight year, there wasn’t much left to play for.
Now back in camp, Casas is determined to take his game to the next level, setting an ambitious goal: 40 home runs and 120 RBIs. Only two players—Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge—reached those numbers last season, but Casas believes he belongs in that company.
“I think that is the expectation for the first baseman of the Boston Red Sox. I think if I’m not able to do that, then I don’t deserve a job here,” Casas told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I don’t feel that’s out of my reach. I feel like that’s something that’s very possible for me to accomplish.”
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has echoed that confidence, stating this offseason that Casas is fully capable of reaching those lofty marks. If he does, he’ll join an elite group of Red Sox sluggers. The last to achieve it? J.D. Martinez, who blasted 43 homers and drove in 130 runs in 2018 while helping Boston win its most recent World Series.
Casas flashed his star potential in the second half of 2023, slashing .317/.417/.617 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs after a slow start. That surge propelled him to a third-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Now, he’s focused on refining his approach, particularly his ability to drive inside pitches to the opposite field.
“My swing plays well in our home field,” Casas said. “If I’m able to control the inner part of the plate and drive it to left-center, I think that’s the Mount Rushmore of a great hitter.”
A breakout season from Casas could be exactly what Boston needs. The front office made significant moves, revamping the pitching staff and adding Alex Bregman in hopes of returning to contention. Casas has yet to experience postseason baseball, but if he delivers on his lofty goals, he could help bring the Red Sox back to October in a big way.
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