While it’s clear that Willson Contreras will be the main everyday first baseman for the Boston Red Sox heading into the 2026 season, there is still a player who can be impactful in 2026 at the corner position. Despite missing most of the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to injuries and the acquisition of Contreras, Triston Casas is someone who can still be an important bat for the Red Sox in ’26. In terms of his age, contract, and the prevailing sentiment within the Red Sox organization, there is considerable optimism for Casas this upcoming season.
While ’24 and ’25 weren’t favorable to the 25-year-old, there are still glimpses of the power-hitting left-hander the Rex Sox drafted 26th overall in 2018. He’s shown that he can hit home runs, drive in base runners, and hit for a decent average. Now, it’s about getting healthy and staying that way.
Triston Casas Looking to Make Availability His Best Ability
GettyBoston Red Sox’s Triston Casas
Heading into the 2026 season, the question is where, or when, Casas will start. He has some options left, meaning he could begin in Triple-A with the Worcester Red Sox. If he makes it to Spring Training healthy and feeling 100%, there’s a chance he makes the Opening Day roster as a possible platoon bat. Just a couple of days before New Year’s, Casas released a video of him hitting baseballs in a cage at the facility in Fort Myers, where he’s spent most of his time after rupturing the patellar tendon in his left knee.
Back in Mid-December, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic spoke with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow about Casas. During a multitude of questions about the Red Sox heading into the 2026 season, the topic of Casas came up, more so about not penciling him into the lineup on Opening Day. When asked about the speculation, Breslow stated, “It’s not about our confidence in his baseball ability. He’s got the same talent that he had: the ability to manage the strike zone, to hit the ball out of the park. We need that. We’re going to need that. We just don’t want to overly pressurize the situation for guys coming back from a pretty significant injury.”
It gives the impression that the Red Sox still have belief in the player who finished 2023 with 113 hits, 21 doubles, 24 home runs, 65 RBIs, 70 walks, while hitting an average of .263. Casas had a slash line of .367/.490/.856 with an OPS+ of 129 and a 2.2 wins above replacement (WAR). Casas also finished third in Rookie of the Year voting that season as well. Following that, however, two injuries kept him to only playing 92 games with a WAR of -0.3, 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, and an average of .222, along with an OPS+ of 104.
Casas will have aton to prove with the Red Sox, if he wants to see playing time in Boston this upcoming season. What does bode well for him is that there is confidence and hope within the organization for him to return and be an impactful bat in ’26.
A Belief is Still There
During the same sitdown with McCaffrey, Breslow continued when asked if Casas could be with the Red Sox for Opening Day. “He could, for sure. Again, I don’t want to get too far out in front of ourselves, but he’s a guy who, when he’s on the field, he’s had the ability to impact the game. He just has not, unfortunately, been on the field.” If he is healthy, there is no reason not to have his bat in the lineup, even if in a platoon situation with Contreras at first base. Even more so, he could be used as a DH, along with a guy to come off the bench.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora even stated why he still believes in Casas, following two down years with injury woes. “He’s still talented. He’s still a good hitter. We just have to get him healthy. He’s been in Fort Myers the whole time after the season. That’s great for a young guy who knows what he needs to do to compete. He’s done that. Hopefully, we can get him healthy. There’s no timetable right now. We just have to get him right, and hopefully he can contribute next year.”
GettyBoston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas
Back in 2023, Casas ripped on righties with a .274 average, along with a slash line of .368/.497/.85. He went 96-for-350, 16 doubles, one triple, 20 home runs, and 53 RBIs over the course of the season. He did have four home runs and 12 RBIs against lefties, but it’s clear that he hits for power and can go after righties with authority, especially with how right field is at Fenway Park.
Casas is set to make $1.5 million during the 2026 season and still has two years left with the Red Sox through ’28. He will only be entering his age-26 season in ’26, and still has lots of potential to be the guy the Red Sox drafted in 2018 in the first round. It’s been an uphill battle the last couple of seasons, and with Contreras on the team now, Casas will have more to prove that he can be impactful. When it comes down to it, Casas is still young, has potential to become a productive MLB first baseman, and platoon well with Contreras, along with being a DH. His age, contract, and potential are there; it’s about staying healthy this upcoming season.
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