Luis Castillo's Velocity Encouraging Early In Spring Training
10 months agoSeattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, who was in the conversation for the American League Cy Young award for most of last year, threw 96 mph fastballs in the first inning of his Cactus League debut on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds. It was a significant rise compared to last year, when he was in the high-80s early on. It was a telling sign of Castillo's health, as he's typically a pitcher who grows slower into his velocity than most and who uses spring training to regain his feel rather than install offseason adjustments. "It's telling me that I'm healthy," Castillo said. His four-seam fastball held hitters to a .165 average and .384 slugging percentage in 2023 while generating a 33% whiff rate, an MLB-best among starters. Castillo's fastball/slider combo has made him an easy top-10 fantasy starter in Seattle.
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer