Castro Gets Welcome to the Show: Will He Stay
Just before the Pittsburgh Pirates headed to New York for this four-game series with the Mets, they had to make a series of roster moves. Both Phillip Evans and Erik Gonzalez had to go to the injured list, and the Pirates needed some reinforcements on the Big League club. They ended up going with a pair of players who have already had one stint each in Pittsburgh while bolstering their infield depth. The first was shortstop Cole Tucker from Triple-A Indianapolis, who had been up in parts of the last three seasons with the Pirates. However, the other move was sort of a surprise as the Pirates dipped further down their system and recalled Rodolfo Castro from Double-A Altoona.
It was a promotion that was well deserved for the middle infielder as he was tearing it up in Altoona. In 49 Double-A games, Castro was hitting an impressive .306 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI. He led the Curve in home runs and his .306 average was one of the highest on the team. However, since his call-up, he has only been used as a pinch-hitter and has just one start between his two Big League stints this season. However, he entered the game in the seventh inning of a blowout last night and finally found his first hit after going 0-4 to start his Big League career. He launched his first MLB home run to right field and made the score 12-3. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't mean much, but it was a big moment for the rookie. Today, we look at Castro's short time in the Big Leagues and see if ye could be staying long term or not.
Earning His Opportunities
Even with the Pittsburgh Pirates being on the bottom half of the National League standings, you still have to earn your opportunities on the field. That means performing in some of the toughest situations, which for Castro has been mostly pinch hitting. In his first three big-league games, two times Castro has appeared as a pinch hitter. In those at-bats, he went 0-1 and in his lone start of his Big League career, he went 0-3. However, last night he showed he can hit Big League pitching when he launched the first home run of his MLB career. He finished the night 1-2 with that home run, but it was a big weight lifted off of his shoulders. On the season, he is hitting .167 with a home run and an RBI and, with a doubleheader tomorrow, might earn a starting opportunity.
If there is one thing Castro has shown throughout his career, it is consistent raw power. Over the last three Minor League seasons, he has been in double-digit home runs with his career-high being 19 in 2019. A lot of this is due to his long and lengthy swing that keeps the head of the bat in the zone longer. Usually, you see some Short and compact swings from your middle infielders, like Adam Frazier or Kevin Newman. However, with Castro, he goes longer and uses his whole body to generate power. Now he doesn't project to be a 30-40 home run guy, but he has proven that he can be the guy who hits anywhere between 15-20 home runs consistently. If you have a couple of those types of power guys in your lineup, that is the makings of a formidable offense.
However, like a lot of power hitters, the big thing Castro needs to work on is limiting the strikeout numbers. In 2019, Castro ended up striking out nearly 30% of the time with 122 strikeouts in 417 at-bats. He has been taking steps to improve that, and this season in Double-A he has dropped his strikeout rate seven points to 22.2%, and it has made him a better hitter for average. This plate discipline is something we have seen play out so far in the Big Leagues, with only two strikeouts in his first four games. He also drew a big walk in the second game against the Atlanta Braves, which eventually led to a walk-off walk. Castro continues to improve every time he takes the field and is continuing to adjust to Big League pitching.
What His Future Holds
In the long-term, Rodolfo Castro is a big part of the Pirate's future plans, however, where does he stand right now? At 21-years-old, he has spent the last four seasons in the Minor Leagues and has done well with a career .257 average with 50 home runs and 244 RBI in 381 games played. He has shown in the past he can hit for average, and the power has really started to develop over the last several seasons. However, in four games with the Pirates, Castro has just one start and the other three appearances have come off the bench. As we mentioned before, the strikeouts are the one part of his game he has looked to improve, and he has taken steps in doing that this season. However, pinch-hitting is one of the hardest things to do, and to see how truly ready he is he will have to get consistent at-bats.
The problem with that right now is there is nowhere to play him consistently at this point. His primary position is second base, which is currently occupied by NL All-Star starter Adam Frazier. He can also play shortstop and third base, but Ke'Bryan Hayes and Kevin Newman are in his way there. Probably his best chance of consistent playing time at the current moment is out in the outfield. Bryan Reynolds and Ben Gamel are both swinging well and getting everyday playing time, but the corner outfield is still a big question mark. Jared Oliva has been getting the starts out there, and he hasn't exactly been taking advantage of that with a .125 batting average in 24 Major League at-bats and a career .150 average.
Looking at the here and now, I don't think that Rodolfo Castro is ready to be in the Big Leagues full-time just yet. His strikeout numbers are too concerning, at something I would like to see get down below the 20% mark in the Minor Leagues. However, by the time September rolls around, he will definitely be one of those called up and will get to showcase his skills. Then, he should be competing for a spot in Spring Training 2022, assuming that Cherington ends up trading Adam Frazier either at this year's trade deadline or over the off-season. He has the power that this team desperately needs, the question is can he hit enough to stay in the lineup every day. With some more time and development, he could turn into a solid middle-of-the-order bat for Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (32-55) are back in action today with a doubleheader against the New York Mets (46-38) beginning at 4:10 pm. Game 1 will feature Tyler Anderson (4-8, 4.39) for the Pirates against Marcus Stroman (6-6, 2.60) and Game 2 will see Max Kranick (1-0, 0.00) of the Pirates face Tylor Megill (0-0, 3.77) for the Mets. You can watch both games live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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