It sounds like the Red Sox are placing some big expectations on Triston Casas to fill the shoes of David Ortiz, one of the most beloved and powerful hitters in franchise history. Ortiz’s power and consistency at first base and as a designated hitter made him a key part of the team’s success for nearly 15 years, so it’s understandable that the Red Sox would hope to find a player who can replicate that kind of impact.
With Craig Breslow publicly backing Casas as a potential 40-homer hitter, the pressure is certainly on. Casas has already shown promise in his young career, but hitting 40 homers is a tall order, especially when you haven’t quite reached that benchmark yet. However, it seems Casas is embracing the challenge, which speaks to his confidence and determination. He likely knows that with the right development and consistent performance, he could become that power hitter the Red Sox are hoping for.
If Casas can stay healthy and develop further, there’s certainly potential for him to be a key part of Boston’s lineup for years to come, even if it takes some time to fully match the dominance of Ortiz. It will be interesting to see how he handles these high expectations in the coming seasons.
“I think that is the expectation for the first baseman of the Boston Red Sox,” Casas said.
“I think if I’m not able to do that, then I don’t deserve a job here,” he added, according to the Boston Globe.
Triston Casas’ 13 home runs in just 63 games last year are certainly encouraging, especially when you project that out to a full 162-game season. A 33-homer pace at this stage of his career shows he has the raw power and ability to get there, which bodes well for his potential to hit 40 home runs in the future. If he can stay healthy and maintain that pace, reaching 40 homers wouldn’t be out of the question.
As of 2025, with 19 instances of Red Sox players hitting 40 or more home runs in a season, it’s clear that the Red Sox have a history of power hitters, with names like J.D. Martinez (who hit 43 homers in 2018) leading the way more recently. Ortiz himself, of course, had several 40-homer seasons in his prime, making him an obvious comparison for Casas.
Casas has a solid foundation, and with a little more seasoning, he could very well join that 40-homer club in the coming seasons. The Red Sox must be excited about his potential to become the next big power hitter in their lineup, especially as they look to find the next cornerstone player after Ortiz.
“I don’t feel that’s out of my reach,” Casas added, “I feel like that’s something that’s very possible for me to accomplish.”
Only four players tallied at least 40 home runs last year, and three of them are perennial MVP candidates: Aaron Judge (58), Juan Soto (41), and Shohei Ohtani (54). Anthony Santander, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, mashed 44 homers for the Baltimore Orioles.
None of this is to say Casas can’t hit 40 homers. However, accomplishing such a feat isn’t as simple as a video game may have you think.
Nonetheless, the Red Sox certainly stand to benefit if Casas unleashes his power stroke. Boston has missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
Counting his signing bonus, Casas has earned over $4.1 million since joining the Red Sox. A 40-homer campaign should absolutely pay dividends for his bank account … pun not intended. We promise.
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