Red Sox select high school slugger Triston Casas 26th overall

With the 26th pick in the 2018 MLB amateur draft, the Boston Red Sox selected high school third baseman Triston Casas.

The corner infielder has plenty of power, but some scouts malign his defensive acumen at third base and project him as a first baseman.

Casas won the 2017 Richard W. "Dick" Case Award following his dominant performance during the U18 Baseball World Cup, where he was also named tournament MVP. His pop seems prolific though, with Casas' abilities at the dish good enough to translate to first base if he can't stick at the hot corner.

Bio

Age: 18
Position: 3B
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 238 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/R
School: American Heritage School
NCAA commit: Miami
Player comp: Freddie Freeman
Pick value: $2,552,800
MLB.com prospect rank: 20
MLB.com money quote: "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."

Scouting grades

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(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
(Grades courtesy: MLB Pipeline)