20 Under 25 Candidates: Boston Red Sox
Take a closer look at the Red Sox candidates for NBC Sports Boston's 2021 "20 Under 25" list.
After looking at the candidates for this year's "20 Under 25" rankings of the best professional athletes in Boston, make sure to go and VOTE and enter you rankings for each team.
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LAST YEAR: NR
The Red Sox selected Triston Casas with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. The 20-year-old currently is ranked by Baseball America as Boston's No. 1 prospect.
Casas hits left-handed and throws right-handed. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger can play both corner infield positions.
In 2019 with the Greenville Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League, Casas posted a slash line of .254/.349/.472 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI in 118 games. Since there was no 2020 minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Sox added Casas to their player pool in August so he could participate in intra-squad workouts.
Casas projects to be a big part of Boston's future.
LAST YEAR: 2nd
There was massive hype surrounding Rafael Devers when he signed with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old international prospect. Now 24, he's lived up to that hype and then some.
Devers is the present and the future of this Boston Red Sox club. The third baseman's big breakout campaign came in 2019 when he hit .311 with 32 homers, 115 RBI, a whopping 54 doubles, and a .916 OPS.
Going forward, Devers will be counted on to be the heart of the Red Sox lineup. And while his presence is mostly felt at the plate, there's no doubt he's made some strides as a defender at the hot corner as well.
Yes, Alex Verdugo was the big name headed to Boston in the deal that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles, but Jeter Downs should not be overlooked. The 22-year-old middle infielder joins Triston Casas at the top of the Red Sox's prospect rankings.
Downs was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 32nd overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft. He was traded to the L.A. Dodgers in 2018.
In 107 games with Rancho Cucamonga in 2019, Downs hit .269 with 19 homers and 75 RBI. He was promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers on Aug. 20, 2019, where he hit .333 with five homers and 11 RBI in 12 games.
And yes, Downs was named after New York Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter.
LAST YEAR: NR
Groome was one of the most coveted pitchers of the 2016 MLB Draft when he was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox.
After playing for both the Lowell Spinners and Greenville Drive during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Groome underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018. He has since appeared in three games -- one with the Spinners and two with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox -- allowing five hits and one run in eight total innings of work.
Groome was added to the Red Sox's 40-man roster in November and currently is Boston's No. 6 prospect, per Baseball America.
LAST YEAR: NR
