The Red Sox could get used to seeing Triston Casas around Fenway Park.
After becoming the first Sox minor leaguer with 20 homers in a season before turning 20 years old since Xander Bogaerts, Casas made his return to Fenway on Thursday to be honored as the organization’s minor league hitter of the year.
“When I came here a year ago I was pretty rattled,” said Casas, who was drafted 26th overall out of American Heritage High School in Florida last June. “After the season I had, I’m feeling pretty comfortable. Feeling good.”
A strong lower half supports his 6-foot-4 frame, which allowed him to hit 19 homers at Single-A Greenville and another in two games at High-A Salem to end the year with 20. It’s worth noting the balls used in the minors below the Triple-A level are different than those used in the majors and the minor leagues did not see a spike in home run totals this year.
Casas also hit .256 with a .350 on-base percentage, all while being two years younger than the average player in the South Atlantic League.
“He was in high school last year at this time,” farm director Ben Crockett said. “He’s got bat speed, somebody who can use all fields, makes adjustments within a count and yet he has tremendous power and can drive the ball out of the park anywhere on the field. He’s really dangerous, but has the potential to be a complete hitter.”
Casas said he’s been overhauling his swing throughout the year but considers himself somebody who always has been blessed with power.
“It’s something I’ve had since I was younger,” the first baseman said. “I don’t know how to describe it. I feel like it’s a lot of hard work I put in but it’s a nice thing to have.”
Manager Alex Cora was impressed with video of Casas he saw this year.
“I saw Casas last year taking (batting practice),” Cora said. “We see his swing now, the improvement and the adjustments that he’s made, and it’s night-and-day to his swing when he took BP here.”
Before their 5-4 win Thursday over the Giants, the Red Sox also honored Thad Ward as the pitcher of the year, Ryan Fitzgerald as defensive player of the year, Jarren Duran as the baserunner of the year, Darel Belen as Latin program position player of the year, and Nixson Munoz as Latin program pitcher of the year.
Cora said the farm system is in better shape than most people think.
“Duran, what he did early in the season, and how athletic and explosive he is,” Cora said. “Bobby Dalbec, what he did throughout the last month and a half, going to a higher level and being able to dominate the strike zone and hit the ball out of the ballpark.
“I’ve been saying all along, out of the walls of Fenway, people have their thoughts about our minor league system, but we do feel that we have some guys who are developing and getting better in the lower levels. We’re going to be fine in the upcoming years.”
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