Rookie Casas' unconventional routines gain respect in Red Sox clubhouse

BOSTON -- Triston Casas values the importance of sticking with a routine.

Which is why when the Red Sox were taking on the Blue Jays in Toronto and facing off with the Rangers at Globe Life Field in mid-September, you could find Casas laying on the grass at an empty Fenway Park.

Casas, whose strong rookie campaign ended on Sept. 15 after he was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation, made his Major League debut in 2022. Along with raw power to all fields, Casas brought with him a unique routine that includes a “grounding” technique of laying shirtless on the field before a game to absorb energy from the Earth.

Nearly everything about Casas’ routine goes against traditional rookie behavior, something that some veterans in Boston’s 2022 clubhouse reportedly took issue with. But in ‘23, Casas’ personality was embraced by his teammates.

“Obviously I had heard a lot of stories coming in about everything that he went through last year,” said 15-year veteran Justin Turner. “And my takeaway was that I wanted to get to know him. Get to know him as a person and why he does what he does and why he goes about it the way he goes about it.”

Though some first-year player traditions such as rookie dress-up have stuck around, some of the seasoned players inside Boston’s clubhouse have abandoned the old-school ways that played a part in creating an unspoken divide between rookies and veterans.

Turner, who played with the Orioles and Mets in the early years of his career, credits players such as Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Ty Wigginton and David Wright for instilling the idea of a mutually respectful relationship between teammates, regardless of age. Rather than following the concept of “making them earn it,” Turner believes in embracing rookies and making sure they’re comfortable.

“I always say I’m like the bumpers on a bowling lane,” Turner said. “I don’t want to interfere with them or stop them from doing anything, I just want to keep them moving in the right direction, make sure they don’t wind up in the gutter.”

Having come up with players like Turner and Clayton Kershaw with the Dodgers, 13-year veteran Kenley Jansen feels he was a big part of changing the culture in Los Angeles. Jansen has carried that mindset all the way to Boston, where he believes in respecting the various ways a player may prepare and being open to understanding how his teammates’ minds work.

Whether it’s grounding himself in the outfield grass or taking swings with a ball bucket in between his arms, Casas’ unique pregame habits offer teammates the opportunity to challenge how they view preparation.

“If that is your preparation that I’m seeing you doing it every day, then I start to understand,” Jansen said. “And if that’s working, understand how the mind works for the body. If that’s putting his mind in the best position for his body to function, then I’m supporting him through whatever he needs to do to get ready.”

Outside of the meticulous gameplan Casas follows, the rookie’s confidence not only in his routine but in the way he carries himself has stuck out to some veterans. Jansen saw that confidence firsthand one night after a game when he and Casas were the only two left in the clubhouse.

As they sat eating in silence, the 23-year-old rookie turned to a 35-year-old Jansen and asked, “Hey, do you have a problem with me?”

“He kind of called me out,” Jansen said. “Not called me out, but was like … ‘I have a sense that you don’t like me.’”

Rather than adopting the “be seen, not heard” approach that has long existed for rookies within the walls of a Major League clubhouse, Casas feels strongly about being open with his thoughts and feelings. If he has suspicions that somebody has an issue with him, Casas isn’t afraid to be vocal.

“I love confrontation,” Casas said. “I like problem solving, and I like collaborating with people, especially my teammates. And if I feel that there's a disconnect between me and another person, I don't mind expressing my discomfort with that person and trying to figure out why I feel that way about that person.”

Though he has a reason for everything he does and never intends to “push anyone’s buttons,” Casas is aware that some of his practices may rub his teammates the wrong way. The callout, which Jansen acknowledged “took balls” for Casas to do, allowed the two players to clear up any miscommunication and squash the potential for disconnect within the clubhouse.

“We opened up and had a conversation, and ever since, we started laughing and connecting and from there, he’s a great guy, man,” Jansen said. “He’s a special guy, let me say that. Doing a lot of different things, unique things, and I like that. I’m having fun seeing him [after] he battled the first two months, and he stuck with his guns and his routine and he had an unbelievable year. I’m so happy for him.”

After some teammates vocalized concerns with Casas last season, the 23-year-old “took it wholeheartedly” and made adjustments without having to deviate too far from his gameplan. Casas made an effort this year to strike a balance between sticking with what he knew and respecting his teammates' space and time.

“There's an unwritten kind of rule or stigma about the Major Leagues where seniority plays a part in your availability to do things and your timing,” Casas said. “So I just wanted to not get in anybody's way or not step on anybody's toes and do the things that I had to feel ready for the game.”

Outside of his ability to be adaptable, Casas made other developmental changes in his rookie season that stood out to his teammates, including being more vocal in hitters’ meetings, openly talking about his approach and gameplan and sharing his goals throughout the year.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Turner said. “He’s well beyond his years when it comes to knowing his swing and having an approach and having a gameplan and knowing what he wants to do. And not in a closed off way either. He’s willing to have conversations and talk about different things and [I] really got to see him open up a lot this year.”

The Red Sox had a unique veteran situation in their clubhouse this season, in that most of their longest-tenured Major Leaguers were in their first year with the team. Offseason additions Turner, Jansen and Adam Duvall were all players whom Casas cited as being important to his development this season, along with Trevor Story, who was shelved most of the year by injury, and even some of the younger players like Rob Refsnyder and Rafael Devers.

“It's been a collective group effort of confidence and advice that have been instilled in me over the course of this year,” Casas said.

Casas said his confidence is a trait he’s grown into and something he’s constantly aware of and working to improve. Getting along with guys in high school locker rooms or Minor League clubhouses felt easier for Casas, as people shared similar experiences.

In Boston, the 40-man roster is made up of players ranging from 22 (Ceddanne Rafaela) to 38 years old (Turner), and various backgrounds, including Masataka Yoshida, who just finished his first MLB season after spending seven years playing professional baseball in Japan.

“It's just so different [here] that I want to get to know my teammates, and my peers on a really personal level, because we're here together with each other for so much time throughout the year, even more than [with] our own families,” Casas said.

Though Casas noted that techniques such as grounding have been “in the works long before [he] came on this earth,” he feels he’s had some influence in piquing the interest of some of his teammates, and that his ways may catch on if he “puts up better results” next season.

But perhaps the results (a .263 average, 24 homers and 65 RBIs over 132 games) are already speaking for themselves, because not only have his teammates accepted Casas’ routine, some have tested it for themselves. Among those players who have joined Casas in the grass pregame? Devers, fellow rookie Yoshida and Nick Pivetta.

“I think you might see a couple guys over the next couple years do it,” Casas said. “I feel like I'll be here for a while, so I'll definitely keep doing it.”