Triston Casas has quickly put himself in the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year debate.
How fast things can change, huh?
During the first two and a half months of the season, some Red Sox “fans” all but wrote Casas off as a bust.
However, those of us in the know, the Sox fans who understand fundamentally how the game works, knew it was only a matter of time.
If anybody who believed says they thought he’d go off as he has, though, well, they’re lying.
Nobody expected Triston Casas to turn his season around as much as he has, as fast as he has — never mind becoming a Rookie of the Year candidate.
Triston Casas BoSox’s Rising Rookie of the Year Hopeful
Embed from Getty ImagesAmong A.L. rookies, Casas is now 1st in walk-to-strikeout rate (.54), 2nd in expected weighted on-base average (.373) and walk rate (13.7 percent), 3rd in expected slugging percentage (.512), and 4th in total bases (169) and extra-base hits (38).
The 23-year-old ranks 5th in on-base percentage (.354) and home runs (20); 7th in OPS (.834); 8th in wRC+ (123); 9th in RBI (48); 10th in SLG (.480) and offensive WAR (1.7); and 11th in AVG (.253) and expected batting average (.250).
He’s also 14th in strikeout rate (25.4 percent).
How has Triston Casas positioned himself into the 2023 A.L. Rookie of the Year race in such a short time?
In his last 53 games, Casas is hitting .307/.393/.585/.978, with eight doubles, 13 home runs, 30 RBI, 24 walks, 47 strikeouts, and a 161 wRC+.
Casas is crushing pitches in the zone over this time, which he wasn’t doing earlier in the season.
But the Miami, Florida, native has exploded since the All-Star break, hitting .309/.406/.646/1.052 with 11 home runs, 22 RBI, 17 walks, 30 strikeouts, and a 178 wRC+ in 34 games.
Triston has done all this while demonstrating the same plate discipline (his calling card) that he did when he struggled.
Masataka Yoshida Losing Ground
Embed from Getty ImagesMeanwhile, Masataka Yoshida, just for reference, has not been the same player for almost a month now, and it’s hurting his Rookie of the Year standing.
Since July 26, Masa has hit .200/.216/.282/.498 with four doubles, one home run, 8 RBI, two walks, 16 strikeouts, and an abysmal 25 wRC+.
Masa now ranks 1st in strikeout rate (12.6 percent); 2nd in AVG (.304) and TB (198); 3rd in BB/K (.50) and XBH (42); and 4th in oWAR (1.9) and RBI (61).
Yoshida is 6th in OBP (.350); 8th xBA (.270); 11th in SLG (.462) and OPS (.812); and 12th in wRC+ (119), xSLG (.422) and xwOBA (.329).
He’s now 15th in home runs (13) and 17th in walk rate (6.4 percent).
Masa was first in strikeout rate and OBP among American League rookies. He was 2nd in RBI, AVG, OPS, oWAR, and XBH. And he was 3rd in wRC+, 4th in SLG, 6th in homers, and 8th in walk rate.
He’s not totally out of the race but slipping steadily.
Casas Changed the Narrative
Embed from Getty ImagesIt is mind-boggling what Triston Casas has done over the last ten weeks, given how bad his first ten weeks were, if you really think about it.
Some “fans” wanted to write Casas off early. Others knew better.
Most knew he had it in him to be an impact big leaguer for the Red Sox at first base for a long time. But nobody expected this level of production from him.
Triston Casas has defied expectations, launching himself into the 2023 A.L. Rookie of the Year race while at the same time solidifying his place among the young core that has emerged for the Red Sox in 2023.
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Featured Image Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
