Carlos Duno / Courtesy LVBP.com
The slugger from Barquisimeto, Diego Castillo, demonstrated again yesterday why he is the great revelation of spring training after dispatching his sixth home run of the preseason.
The 24-year-old shortstop hit the ball out of the park with a man in circulation in the sixth inning. The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles yesterday 9 runs by 3. He finished the game 4-4 with two RBIs and another pair of runs scored.
Diego Castillo secured a spot on the inaugural Pittsburgh Pirates roster after his brilliant performance in spring training. The prospect received the news of his new status last Sunday, but it was made public yesterday.
“It was a great moment. I know you are very excited. When I told him (last Sunday): ‘Hey, keep this to yourself. And he replied: ‘If I tell my mom, she will come out (about keeping the secret)’ ”, manager Derek Shelton told MLB.com, in relation to the moment in which he gave the Creole the news .
Castillo celebrated with a perfect afternoon of 4-4, including a home run, two runs scored and the same number of RBIs. What improved his offensive line to .406/.429/.969, with an OPS of 1.398, top figures on his team, while among the players with the minimum at-bats to qualify for the preseason leads, he is second in home runs ( 6) and bases reached (31), while co-leading RBI (12).
Statistics that, although they never cease to amaze, according to the scouts’ report, his bat was going to take him to the Majors, at any moment.
“Castillo earned his place on the 40-man roster, thanks to the advances he made at the plate,” says the evaluation made by MLB Pipeline, a portal that places the Venezuelan as the 21st promise of the buccaneers.
His remarkable progress was accompanied by conviction and the certainty of earning a spot on the big team this spring. At least that’s what he told Ben Cherington, general manager of the freebooters, according to journalist Dawn Klemish for MLB.com.
Castillo, 24, received a $750,000 bonus from the New York Yankees during the 2014-2015 international signing process. Since then he has shown a lively bat and prowess to defend shortstop, a position he has spent most of the time (359 of 557 games), though he also has the ability to defend second and third.
