Who is Triston Casas?

Triston Casas isn't just one of the biggest prospects in the game, but he's also one of the best. He's cruised up the rankings over the past year, and now finds himself as the top-ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization and the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball.

Here's everything you need to know about the hulking slugger:

FAST FACTS
MLB organization: Red Sox
Birthdate: Jan. 15, 2000 (Age 21 in 2021)
Primary position: 1B
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 252 lbs.
Bats/throws: L/R
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
School(s): American Heritage (Fla.) HS
Drafted: 26th overall, 2018 (by BOS)

He relaxes by playing ... the piano

Casas has talked previously about the honor of playing for an organization with legends like David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez, but he's also a fan of a different "legend" -- John Legend, to be exact. Casas took a beginner's class in ninth grade and still enjoys playing the piano -- specifically, music by Legend and Adele -- in his limited downtime. He's also a big fan of bass fishing and plays the occasional video game.

Baseball was basically a last resort

Casas' father, Jose Casas, was a football player during his day. Knowing the toll that sport can take on the body, he instead signed his son up to play soccer. The young Casas, however, didn't take much to the pitch. Next up, he tried basketball, but admittedly was not very good at that one either.

After a few swings and misses with other sports, Casas said his dad bought him a Fisher-Price plastic ball and tee -- and the rest was history. Casas seemed to have a natural swing, and said he loved the sport almost instantly. That apparently runs in the family: his brother, Gavin, also took up the sport and is currently a freshman on the Vanderbilt baseball team.

He thrives on the big stage

Casas has already logged some valuable experience in big games. In high school, he led the United States' U18 team in homers and RBIs in both 2016 and '17, then was named the MVP of the 2017 18U World Cup.

More recently, he played a key role in helping Team USA qualify for the Olympics. Casas slashed .400/.471/.533 in the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier in early June. His production helped the United States win the tournament, and thus, secure a spot in Tokyo for the Summer Olympics.

He used the COVID-19 shutdown to bulk up

Casas was never exactly a small prospect, but he took things to another level last summer. Once players were sent home from Spring Training due to the pandemic, Casas opted to focus on his physical conditioning. The result was reporting to Boston's alternate training site stronger and more athletic than he was a few months earlier.

"I definitely used that time that I was at home to really work hard," Casas said. "I came into the alternate site, and then Spring Training, prepared because I didn’t take any of that time for granted."

That extra work has certainly paid off, as Casas now finds himself ranked the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball. That's a 55-spot jump in less than two seasons for a guy who was ranked No. 85 at the end of the 2019 season.

He's a quick learner, both on and off the field

Casas has enjoyed picking the brains of veteran big league hitters, whether it be J.D. Martinez giving him some tips at Fenway Park shortly after Casas was drafted or learning from guys like Todd Frazier and Matt Kemp at the Olympic Qualifiers earlier this year. His ability to soak up information should come as no surprise, considering he graduated high school a year early in order to be eligibile for the 2018 MLB Draft. Though he committed to the University of Miami, Casas instead opted to sign with the Red Sox after being selected 26th overall.

He bounced right back after an injury derailed his first pro season

Starting his pro career a year early proved beneficial after Casas lost nearly his entire debut season to a thumb injury. After playing just two games in the Gulf Coast League in the summer he was drafted, Casas sustained a torn UCL in his right thumb that required season-ending surgery. He bounced right back in 2019, hitting 20 homers and posting a .350 OBP between 118 games for Low-A Greenville and two games for High-A Salem.

He has a longstanding relationship with a four-time Gold Glove-winning All-Star

Casas attended American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla. -- the same alma mater as Eric Hosmer. The pair met when Casas was in 10th grade after Hosmer heard about a talented ballplayer at his former high school. Casas apparently had a friend who hit with Hosmer's brother, and the duo was eventually introduced when Hosmer invited Casas to his house to take some swings. They've stayed in contact since, hitting together at Hosmer's house or grabbing a bite to eat together when Hosmer is in town.