With the No. 26 overall pick in the MLB First Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected third baseman Triston Casas out of American Heritage School in Plantation, FL.
Casas is the is the No. 20 prospect according to MLB.com. The 18-year-old left-handed hitter can also play first base, but he's known for his bat. Here's what his scouting profile says about him. . .
Casas is all about his bat and the power he can produce with it. In terms of raw pop, he’s up there with just about anyone in the class, registering high exit velocities at various times. The only question is whether he’ll make enough contact to tap into that power consistently, as there are some holes in his swing. He loves to hit and does have an approach at the plate, something he’ll have to continue to refine at the next level.
After being drafted, Casas talked about his versatility on the media conference call.
"To me it doesn't matter where I play," Casas said. "I feel like that's what makes me pretty valuable to a team. I'm pretty versatile. I can play multiple positions pretty well whether it be third base or first base, or left field, right field, catcher, shortstop, center field... to me it doesn't matter. I love making an impact at the plate and the field is just a little bit of a bonus."
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound prospect led Team USA to a gold medal in the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup and earned MVP honors. Last year, Casas was honored with the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award, given annually to USA Baseball's top player. He is currently committed to the University of Miami. On top of his raw talent, he also appears to have a sense of humor. . .
UPDATE: With the No. 64 overall pick, the Red Sox selected outfielder Nick Decker out of Seneca High school in New Jersey.
Like Casas, Decker is a left-handed hitter known for his power at the plate. He is No. 74 in MLB's Top 200 Prospects list.
Boston Red Sox
Find the latest Boston Red Sox news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
