June 4, 2018 at 9:47 PM
Red Sox select Triston Casas with the 26th overall pick
With the 26th overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player MLB Draft, the Red Sox selected Triston Casas, a corner infielder from American Heritage School (Fla.). Casas is ranked 25th by Baseball America, 31st by Perfect Game USA, 20th by MLB.com, and 34th by ESPN’s Keith Law.
Playing for one of the best high school baseball programs in the country, Casas was initially scheduled to be part of the 2019 draft class before reclassifying this spring. Casas is one of the top power hitting high school prospects in this year's draft after leading U-18 Team USA to the gold medal in the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 World Cup while winning MVP along the way. He also won the WBSC International Player of the Year. The performance was with wooden bats and was undoubtedly a huge factor in projecting his future power potential.
There is no question his power is somewhere between plus and double plus according to all industry sources, but there are other areas that there are differing views. Defensively, the 6-foot-4 Casas has played both third base and first base, but while some such as Keith Law think it he will be first base only, others like Perfect Game USA think he has the athleticism and arm strength to at least begin his pro career at third. The hit tool is also a topic for debate, with MLB.com giving it a 45 on the 20-80 scouting scale and Keith Law complimenting his swing and approach. Baseball America likes the package, saying "it is also challenging to find a hitter in the draft class with a better combination of hitting ability, plate discipline, power and track record against quality arms than Casas provides.”
Casas is committed to the University of Miami, but by moving up into the 2018 draft class, there is almost no doubt he will sign. Red Sox fans should focus on the upside potential here since Casas has a high ceiling with the bat, but do not forget he is not without significant risk especially if he is limited to first base.
Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, ESPN, and MLB.com.
Photo Credit: Triston Casas by Baseball Factory
Will Woodward is a Co-Owner and Senior Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPWill.