The Boston Red Sox are right in the thick of the playoff race in the American League, and rookie first baseman Triston Casas' red-hot production at the plate is a major reason why.
The Red Sox are just 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third wild card playoff berth in the AL, and they trail the Houston Astros by 2.5 games for the second wild card spot.
Boston is 7-4 in its 11 games after the All-Star break, a stretch that includes an active four-game win streak headlined by a two-game sweep of the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park.
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Casas has been on fire at the plate since the All-Star break. In fact, he leads all of baseball in several important stat categories, as explained in the tweet below:
Casas brings a five-game hit streak into Friday night's road game against the San Francisco Giants. He has nine hits, three home runs and six RBI during that streak.
The Red Sox have one of the league's top offenses. It ranks No. 3 in MLB in batting average, No. 2 in hits, No. 6 in runs and No. 4 in on-base percentage. Casas isn't the only player driving these impressive numbers, but he's playing a pretty large role in the success.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are in the midst of building their next core, and Casas figures to be a huge part in that going forward. His ability to bounce back from a slow start to the season and really hit his stride at the perfect time as the postseason race heats up is an encouraging sign for the franchise.