Thread of future Red Sox superstar Triston Casas

He shouldn’t have left his little finger nails undone. Looks like he’s trying for a (second?) accent nail but it just looks unfinished.

“Hitting the ball hard is the objective. People love home runs. People love contact. And I try to generate that as often as possible. I’m in the entertainment business.”

He also walks a lot. A “three true outcomes” kinda guy it seems

https://i.postimg.cc/tg9D0Vq7/5-B80-F0-A6-363-A-4811-9-A3-D-AC9-CDA441-F8-F.jpg

If he brings an ounce of this confidence to the game, he’s going to smash it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/redsox/comments/10htch9/triston_casas_awesome_entrance_at_winter_weekend/

(i can't see your image gyac)

Lmao this moron

Triston Casas showing off the flow around the bases. 😤

pic.twitter.com/XTsF9KPD8y

— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) March 3, 2023

he interesting

This will be updated depending on how well he does (not my meme obvs)

Triston Casas MLB pic.twitter.com/erXeRiLdED

— Boston Sports Enjoyer (@DeversEnjoyer) March 4, 2023

i’m watching chris sale live on my tv right now and he looks sharp

Red eyes not ass

ffuuuuck justin turner just took a fastball to the face

he did not lose consciousness but went straight down and spit out blood

have never seen that before, missed the helmet completely i think

Starting off spring training strong, minuscule sample size but look at that enormous manchild hit

The sweet swing of No. 2 #RedSox prospect Triston Casas. pic.twitter.com/oH1WeF4AaP

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 8, 2023

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/09/sports/triston-casas-red-sox/

Casas meticulously assembles his guest’s plate and then holds it up for closer inspection. He softly recites something that is impossible to hear, like those baseball conversations where everybody covers their mouth. He looks like a modern-day Mark Fidrych, who appeared to talk to the baseball when he was on the mound.

“I’m blessing the food,” says Casas.

Barry Zito is dead, long live Twitter beisbol king Casas.

Casas’ tweet (Nov. 29, 2022): Don’t know how I used to catch lizards they somehow evolved and became too fast

Casas’ explanation: “I did try to catch a lizard (recently). Typically I could at least grab their tail and it will break off and then they’ll get away. I used to be able to scoop them up and let them run all over me. I tried to do that the other day and obviously it ran away because I didn’t catch it. And then I was seeing if anybody knew about the evolution of lizards lately. Because I feel like they have gotten more athletic.”

Baseball and food are his life. He loves to cook.

“I don’t really have any hobbies or talents,” says Casas, 23, who was ranked the top Red Sox prospect in 2021, according to Baseball America.

He can play the piano and enjoys bass fishing, but there is little time for that now.

“I’ve heard it from a couple of guys,” he says. “But that’s OK. I’m comfortable with my own skin. I don’t resent them for making fun of me because they aren’t on the same level of connectivity with themselves as to put themselves out there and be vulnerable to criticism.”

pic.twitter.com/bMGFEduQg4

— ash (@ashleyherman_) March 2, 2023

Oh trust me notifications are on for that account

https://i.imgur.com/swJOxlS.jpg

i mean

Who will hit the first Red Sox home run of the season?? via @RedSox

I’ll start: Easy answer Raffy but to switch it up I’ll say Duvall pic.twitter.com/kPBX7d8fei

— Jake “Iggy” Ignaszewski (@JakeIggy) March 15, 2023

i’m gonna go with eovaldi, he’s always seemed like a bit of a diva to me

Injured!

From Red Sox:

Triston Casas was scratched from todays game with left 5th finger pain. He is day to day.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 21, 2023

well duh it was unprotected by varnish

Bobby Dalbec got the start at 1B yesterday, batting 9th. 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and 3 LOB 😭

Triston Casas is back in the #RedSox lineup.

Duran CF, Casas 1B, Dalbec 3B, Palka RF, Alfaro C, Goodrum SS, Allen LF, R. Hernández DH, Yorke 2B, Winckowski P

— Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) March 23, 2023

Out there with the spare parts!

Cmon, you know our guy doesn’t care about that. He just wants the bat in his hand and the sun on his forehead!

https://i.postimg.cc/6q0k6FwF/42-D2-E256-ACFF-4037-B376-D4314-D5-F1615.jpg

Dear Tracer, this thing just won’t go away?

Triston Casas might be your 2023 Boston Red Sox leadoff hitter pic.twitter.com/vtzJolK8xx

— Jared Carrabis Podcast (@carrabispod) March 23, 2023

Triston Casas off of Duane Underwood Jr.

EV🔥: 107.8
Launch angle📐: 5.0 degrees
Pitch type🎨: Cutter
Pitch speed🚄: 91.6 mph
Distance📏: 115.0 ft.
Outcome🙋: Double

Boston Red Sox(0) @ Pittsburgh Pirates(0)
Top 1 1 Out pic.twitter.com/wdmaQT6s03

— Well-Hit Bot (@MLBWellHitBot) March 23, 2023

hell yes

the betts/bogaerts era already feels nine million years ago

I mean don’t count your Casas before he’s smashed, but yes, he seems to be having a great spring!

Who knew he inspired the Daniels?!

Everyone wants to take photos of the back side of Triston Casas’ hands (nails). I was more interested in the other side. This is what no batting gloves in BP looks like. pic.twitter.com/vAF3DKaJs5

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) March 21, 2023

Holy moonshot to walk it off for the Red Sox pic.twitter.com/GyLG2ZClP4

— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) March 25, 2023

I don’t love that swing.. he’s flying open too quick, opening his shoulders up too quick.. can’t argue with the result though

Another bomb yesterday off Charlie Morton btw

Triston Casas - Boston Red Sox (4)* pic.twitter.com/aWt6gTZyFm

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) March 28, 2023

Youk is such an upgrade on Eck in the booth it’s not even funny

sorry for posting to this thread when Triston isn’t playing ;_;

It’s ok, big boy sits for left handed pitchers

He came on to pinch hit and he did!

Rookie Triston Casas extends the lead for Boston pic.twitter.com/IHMQSS4oVF

— Pack the Brew (@PacktheBrew) April 2, 2023

It’s ok, big boy sits for left handed pitchers

I hope and expect for this to change

Extremely satisfying single there

My large meathead son

https://i.postimg.cc/PxRcd55P/5-CEECBF9-4-ED8-46-D7-ABA2-2-EC89-BCFC06-B.jpg

Has he quite possibly spliced a load of quotes from different properties and attributed them to a fourth? I believe he has!

Nail update:

Triston Casas Opening Day nails pic.twitter.com/CE5hSasBIn

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) March 30, 2023

Literally rookie errors from our boy; learning curve! However that first home run of the season was pretty great. And it seems like his bat has started to wake up?

Hahahaha

Quite an at bat for Triston Casas, who fouls off eight pitches and draws a 14-pitch walk. Flips the bat at the end, which, honestly, he kind of earned.

— Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) April 13, 2023

I love this fucking moron

Triston Casas celebrating his 14-pitch walk, I LOVE IT.
pic.twitter.com/IZ3qu8Iyt1

— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) April 13, 2023

was not expecting the scream there

There’s a great clip where they cut to the dugout and Cora is laughing, like, what an absolute freak but can’t hate

The lhp threw four straight balls to Bobby Dalbec and ended up having to come out right after, love a good ab duel like that

Bumping mine and Traitor Hand’s favourite thread for this gem:

Baseball isn’t Boring (podcast, great) interviewed Casas in spring training and asked him about his approach to the game. Casas reiterates that he does every day at a time working towards progress every day. When asked about his daily routine, here’s what he said:

New slogan: 'Put the mushrooms and peppers on the grill!' (Photoshop wizards, assemble ...)
Listen to Casas on @BBisntBoring: https://t.co/O6DUWP8QaU pic.twitter.com/l2bA6YDKIe

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) July 30, 2023

de·stroy (verb)
put an end to the existence of by damaging or attacking it. pic.twitter.com/lT9EJKo0Pq

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 29, 2023

Alex Cora said postgame that Triston Casas' home run was as impressive as any he saw Barry Bonds hit back in the day.

"I played here a lot of games and I saw one of the great ones dominating from like 2000 to 2004. That ball he hit to left center, that's one of the best home…

— Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) July 29, 2023

Fangraphs interviewed Casas about his hitting

Laurila: You do your thinking before you step in the box.

Casas: “Yes. I develop my approach to an at-bat when I’m on deck. What is the best way to go about this at-bat to put my team in the best position to succeed? Maybe I want to grind it out and I’ll be taking the first pitch. Maybe I’ll be trying to take my whack on the first pitch, trying to drive the ball into a gap, hit a double, hit a home run. Sometimes the game calls for a walk. I also look at where I’m at in the lineup; who am I protecting, or who is protecting me? A lot goes into it.

“When I step into the box, I know what I want to do. I know what I’m looking for. I know what part of my swing I want to get to. I focus on what I intend to do based on my feel for the game and the situation. From there, it’s all about reaction.”

Honestly for a himbo hippie the guy's kind of a low-key hardball poindexter

I don’t love that swing.. he’s flying open too quick, opening his shoulders up too quick.. can’t argue with the result though

“I’ve always said if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, you’re going to think it’s dumb, but if you talk to me about hitting, you might think I’m the smartest person in the world.”

Bless

He is staying down on the ball more imo. There is something funny about lefties, though, and for some reason I notice it more with Japanese players. Yoshida and Ichiro both look like they fly open way too soon, kind of unspooling their torsos to follow the bal

https://rpseawright.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/ted-williams-hitting-chart.jpg

I’m guessing this is the chart

Looks like Ted didn't like down and in either

https://i.postimg.cc/ydxqHMRt/IMG-8250.jpg

"What if I don't hit by May 3?" - Triston Casas when told of the Dustin Pedroia story on April 24 https://t.co/gMl9X9xL8n

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) May 4, 2023

We talked to Dustin about a player who is having an eerily similar rookie year to his in 2007, Triston Casas... Needless to say, he had some high praise for the rookie
Listen here ➡️ https://t.co/5yHcI31X5l pic.twitter.com/lUk2FyTiCf

— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) September 7, 2023

every time i hear dustin pedroia speak i imagine it being said by matt dillon

I’ve watched so much Pedroia tape. He’s hilarious.

I read a piece with him earlier in the season cos he attends spring training. Two of his kids play baseball and the other doesn’t; he said that son has no interest because baseball used to take his dad away from him. I guess that’s why he’s not very involved the rest of the year but he watches all the games, he says.

Season’s over 💔

Triston Casas (right shoulder inflammation) to the IL.

His 2023 season is effectively over. Scratched from the Red Sox lineup each of the last two days.

He basically had two years in one:
-- .128/.281/.282/3 2B/3 HR prior to May 3
-- .293/.387/.536/18 2B/21 HR from there

— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) September 16, 2023

Wasn't sure if I should post on the Jays thread or not, but I was listening to "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast for Sept 16, which for some reason had Toronto radio personality Jeff Blair et al asking questions of Boston personality "Bradfo".

Blair (laughter in background): "When did Tristan Casas go from being the dude who was like, walking around the field in bare feet before the game and doing yoga and painting his nails and all that stuff, to 24 homers, first in OPS among rookies, 2nd in home runs among rookies...when did that happen? How did that happen?"

Just a disappointing question. Obviously, he's not two different people. Obviously, the behaviours/achievements are not mutually exclusive. Am I being hugely uncharitable if it sounded to me like he's asking "when did this guy go from total f** to complete chad?" Maybe it's innocuous for sports radio, i dunno. It got me wondering how Boston media has been treating his season as it relates to his personality vs. his accomplishments?

Bradfo himself adores the guy and has interviewed him several times, most recently here:

On his one-year anniversary as a big leaguer, Triston Casas sat down with @bradfo to reflect on his journey (that most recently included a game-winning, three-run home run)
Listen: https://t.co/ykkGQCvbEJ pic.twitter.com/BvgXAungqw

— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) September 5, 2023

Casas has had the second-biggest turnaround in quality of contact in MLB between April and May, and has the 6th best quality of contact in May overall. pic.twitter.com/uGNRa3kFcV

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) May 15, 2023

The snackster pic.twitter.com/QUibPtUmHF

— Sox & Shoes (@soxandshoes) May 17, 2023

Casas is a whole vibe. pic.twitter.com/7xfgmfoQUk

— NESN (@NESN) July 18, 2023

Obviously, he's not two different people. Obviously, the behaviours/achievements are not mutually exclusive.

"What if I don't hit by May 3?" - Triston Casas when told of the Dustin Pedroia story on April 24 https://t.co/gMl9X9xL8n

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) May 4, 2023

Yep, Bradfo backed him up very well with his answer. The red flag was all in the question, and I wondered how pervasive that kinda condescending tone had followed him.

thanks for that! i've been very interested in Casas for his potential and his personality, helped by yourself and this thread. i really hope he continues to live up to that potential - a very easy guy to root for, which means a lot coming from a Blue Jays fan!

I had suspected there was a tonal shift as he proved himself, and agree that it's bs to have to succeed to be accepted as an individual.

Thank you, I think just Tracer Hand and I really follow/pay attention to him, he’s a fun/unusual personality and character for baseball, and if you haven’t read the interview with him towards the beginning of the thread where he cooks for the reporter, it’s a really nice piece and he talks about the nails etc. His Fangraphs interview where he talks about hitting is also a really interesting read, he has a very mature (!?) approach to the plate.

Also, that video of him micd up talking to Braves players is sweet 🥲

Oh yeah that article is paywalled, well not here it isn’t.

I'm going through Casas withdrawal already, I can't deal

don’t

When I started this thread I thought it might be fun to follow this weird kid over the season.

This article with its quotes from/about multiple teammates is so sweet!

JT is A Guy:

Turner, who played with the Orioles and Mets in the early years of his career, credits players such as Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Ty Wigginton and David Wright for instilling the idea of a mutually respectful relationship between teammates, regardless of age. Rather than following the concept of “making them earn it,” Turner believes in embracing rookies and making sure they’re comfortable.

“I always say I’m like the bumpers on a bowling lane,” Turner said. “I don’t want to interfere with them or stop them from doing anything, I just want to keep them moving in the right direction, make sure they don’t wind up in the gutter.”

Outside of the meticulous gameplan Casas follows, the rookie’s confidence not only in his routine but in the way he carries himself has stuck out to some veterans. Jansen saw that confidence firsthand one night after a game when he and Casas were the only two left in the clubhouse.

As they sat eating in silence, the 23-year-old rookie turned to a 35-year-old Jansen and asked, “Hey, do you have a problem with me?”

“He kind of called me out,” Jansen said. “Not called me out, but was like … ‘I have a sense that you don’t like me.’”

Though Casas noted that techniques such as grounding have been “in the works long before (he) came on this earth,”

not only have his teammates accepted Casas’ routine, some have tested it for themselves. Among those players who have joined Casas in the grass pregame? Devers, fellow rookie Yoshida and Nick Pivetta.

“I think you might see a couple guys over the next couple years do it,” Casas said. “I feel like I'll be here for a while, so I'll definitely keep doing it.”

Tracer Hand, this is the Fred Lynn interview.

“It was nice to see somebody in the Major Leagues make an adjustment, because I see a ton of them just do the same thing over, and over, and over,” the nine-time All-Star said with a chuckle.

“Back then, we didn’t even see what we were hitting until Sunday when the averages came out,” Lynn recalled of having to get the newspaper just to know how everyone was faring. “It was easy to just play the game and not be overwhelmed by all the other stuff. Today’s players, they can’t do that. I don’t know how they do it, to be honest, because they can’t get away from all that chatter.”

he is unreal

Brennan Bernardino, Triston Casas, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter spreading holiday cheer with the 2023 Holiday Caravan! pic.twitter.com/AKF1yH9HP3

— Red Sox (@RedSox) December 7, 2023

⚠️Warning⚠️

The contents of this video are HOT. pic.twitter.com/nAUgjmBrey

— Red Sox (@RedSox) December 7, 2023

DUDE

His laugh at the end 💀💀💀💀

He’s so sweet

https://archive.is/hXmnm

Casas hopes to use his experience not only to help teammates but also the region. His participation alongside teammates Brennan Bernardino, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter in the Red Sox’ holiday caravan — with visits to hospitals and charitable programs — represented an interest in becoming more deeply invested in the community.

“Baseball is great, hitting home runs is good, and winning World Series is even better, but giving back to the community and somehow making an impact in somebody’s life is better than those things,” said Casas. “I struggle sometimes with knowing my purpose in life and what this all means, being a baseball player compared to a workforce member or a teacher or a firefighter. We get so much attention and compensation that sometimes I’m confused about the dynamic of the world.

“But I want to use this platform for good. Any opportunity that I can get to come up to Boston or give back to the community or hopefully one day get into (hosting)charitable events and foundations, to tap into that after I’ve gained my platform, I’m here to give going forward.”

this guy

he’s back

Red Sox' Triston Casas turned 24 on Monday and enjoyed a big b-day dinner courtesy of his dad.
“My dad went to my favorite butchery shop in Miami and he got me an Australian Wagyu Tomahawk, then a separate Japanese A5 Wagyu Ribeye. So I had both of those for the birthday dinner"

— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) January 17, 2024

Him! Posted in hope a passing FrancisF might see this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iEm7ZBXhrY

There are so many shithead comments online like Ted Williams would nEvEr and bro, Teddy Ballgame wouldn’t even admit he had a Mexican mother until decades past retirement. It’s ok for players to be themselves now.

Joe Sheehan has him as the 5th best 1st-baseman in the game, behind Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper and Vladdy Jr

gyac thinks he might be better than Vladdy Jr and all I have to say about that is, it'll be interesting to watch :)

I mean maybe?????

What exactly did Sheehan say? I remember he was annoyed with some Sox fan who was complaining about Casas having a low average in May or something, after he’d started hitting, but before it showed up in his numbers. Sheehan: do Red Sox fans bother watching the games?

lol he basically just pasted what he wrote before
--
I wrote this in an email May 31, 2023 and published it in a mailbag June 21:

Casas was hideous in April, but in May he’s at .257/.338/.429 after last night’s 0-for-5. That’s also not great, but it’s progress. The K/BB is 22/9 and the K rate is 28%, not unreasonable for the profile. May xBA is .264, xSLG is .560.

I’d have understood these questions a month ago. It’s weird to get them when he’s basically playing about as you’d expect. He’s absolutely earned some patience.

Casas hit .299/.397/.556 from June 1 through the end of the season.
--

🤞🏻 for a good healthy second season (and that his hair grows back ASAP)

It’s good that Florida man wears sunscreen, but does he seriously not understand that you’re supposed to rub it in.

https://i.postimg.cc/7Z0rDWGr/IMG-6515.png

https://www.mlb.com/app/atbat/video/triston-casas-joins-mlb-tonight

Also, I love Jake Peavy so much.

"What part of that [pregame breakfast] makes you feel light for the game?"

Triston Casas: "The trip to the bathroom right before the game. That'll make me feel light. I think it's the chia seeds and flax seeds running right through me. That's the light part." pic.twitter.com/zxgpOt2wEt

— Sox & Shoes (@soxandshoes) March 7, 2024

https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/sunbather-oakland-coliseum-triston-casas-routine-19380171.php

lol. I assume that’s an April Fool’s Day headline cos Jessica Kleinschmidt the A’s reporter (who is great!) posted it on her Twitter.

Triston Casas made it to Oakland just fine: pic.twitter.com/dBGgUxmCcl

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) April 1, 2024

Where does outfield yoga rank amongst pregame routines? #RedSox pic.twitter.com/nHR8NMJZ02

— NESN (@NESN) March 30, 2024

Casas is so bored at dh he’s playing first from the bullpen lol pic.twitter.com/C9m6bYQeRK

— CasasTruther (@CasasTruther36) April 3, 2024

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/04/meet-the-river-monster-the-red-sox-new-on-base-celebration-for-2024.html

At some point shortly before the season on the team plane, a group of veterans were playing poker on the back of the team charter when, after someone won a hand with a favorable river card (the fifth and final community card in a flop game), gestured like a monster and said the “River Monster” had come for one of his teammates.

“It’s something to do with poker,” said first baseman Triston Casas. “I don’t play but apparently there’s something called the ‘river.’ Sometimes it frustrates players when something happens there that they lose and the other person wins. Somebody made that gesture when they were playing one day. I wasn’t there.”

…“The back of the plane card game got it going, so (Nick) Pivetta and Raffy (Devers) were doing it,” Casas said. “Someone was like, ‘I’m doing that when I get on first base.

“I don’t know how there can be a river in a card game. Those run through land, with water. I don’t understand.”

He’s an idiot i love him