Triston Casas Confident In Roman Anthony’s Red Sox Future

Triston Casas knows what to expect as an emerging rookie with the Boston Red Sox.

In his first full season in the majors, Casas finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting, smashing 24 home runs with a .856 OPS.

During his development in the minor leagues, Casas earned praise for his patient approach at the plate as a highly matured hitter. With several top prospects working closer to Boston, the Red Sox first baseman likes what he sees, particularly with young outfielder Roman Anthony. The two players have taken time to form a relationship in recent months, including last week when the Red Sox hosted several prospects in Boston for rookie development camp.

“We’ve been getting to know each other more on a personal level more than baseball stuff” Casas told reporters this past Saturday during Red Sox Winter Weekend at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. “I feel like that’s the best approach to take when meeting new teammates. Try to level with them. Try to understand their sense of humor and level of emotional intelligence.”

Anthony’s patience during his three-level rise in 2023 stands out, especially when compared to Casas’ growth. Anthony posted a 17.5% walk rate last season, with the MLB average sitting around 11%. For reference, Casas was at 13.6% in his last full minor league season and just under 14% with the Red Sox in 2023.

While analyzing Anthony’s production and having conversations with the 19-year-old, Casas is certainly excited to see more growth.

“His (walk rate) is going to play,” Casas added. “Even if it decreases as the years go on, it’s still above average. I saw his numbers from last year. They’re obviously really impressive. He’s just hinted to me about what he’s trying to do at the plate. It’s a really simple approach.”

Casas continued: “Trying to fight for the inside of the ball at all times. Keeping his hands close to his body is what he preached to me. It doesn’t matter what angle of a ball he’s trying to hit. Lefty, righty, sinker, four-seam. Doesn’t matter. It’s going to be a good concept to apply. It’s what I’ve been trying to apply lately for myself. The fact that he’s already applying that to his game is pretty encouraging.”

The prospect’s growing power, tallying 14 home runs in 106 games in 2023, added with his patient approach creates even further intrigue for the future of the Boston lineup along with staples such as Casas.

Anthony enters 2024 looking to get that much closer to Boston and boosting the Red Sox while Casas gets ready to build on an inspiring rookie campaign.