RADIO
Starlin Castro 2020 Outlook: Solid Late-Round MI Target
Starlin Castro wrapped up his tenth season in the bigs in 2019 as a member of the Marlins. It was a great season for Castro, where he played in all 162 games. He once again was a solid source of batting average, hitting .270. It was his fourth-straight season with an average of .270 or better. He even took advantage of the live ball, hitting 22 home runs, which was a career high. The continued batting average success was impressive considering a .293 BABIP, but the (personal) low BABIP can somewhat be attributed to a change in his ground-ball and fly ball rates; Castro lowered his GB% to 48.1% and raised his FB% to 24.2%. His barrel and hard-hit rates also rose to 6.2% and 37.7%. The increased rates helped lead to his 22 home runs and a career-high .165 ISO. Castro’s plate discipline was also better as he lowered his strikeout rate to 16.4%, which was his best since 2015. Now, Castro will enter his age-30 season as a member of the Washington Nationals. There is a chance he may share some time at second base with Asdrubal Cabrera, Howie Kendrick, and Wilmer Difo. All reports point to Castro being the primary second baseman and batting fifth for the reigning World Series Champions. He is currently being drafted at pick 294.91 and is a great value for a team’s middle infield position.
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