HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Luis Miguel Castillo (born December 12, 1992) is a Dominican professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
for the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017 with the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. Castillo is a three-time
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
.


Professional career


San Francisco Giants

Castillo signed with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
as an international free agent in December 2011. Castillo only pitched as a reliever in the Giants' farm system. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the
DSL Giants The Dominican Summer League Giants or DSL Giants are a minor league baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The team plays in the Boca Chica South division and is affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. History The team first came into ex ...
, going 1–3 with a 3.31 ERA in innings pitched. In 2013, he returned there, going 0–1 with a 0.64 ERA in 27 appearances. In 2014, he came to the United States, pitching for the
Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. History Augusta was a member of the S ...
where he had a 2–2 record and 3.07 ERA in 48 appearances.


Miami Marlins

On December 20, 2014, Castillo and Kendry Flores were traded to the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
for
Casey McGehee Casey Michael McGehee (born October 12, 1982) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, San Fran ...
. Castillo started 2015 with the
Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National B ...
and was promoted to the
Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...
in July. In 35 games, 16 of them starts, with the two teams, he was 6–6 with a 3.20 ERA. Castillo began 2016 with Jupiter and was promoted to the
Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
in August. In 26 games, only two of them in relief, between Jupiter and Jacksonville, he was 8–6 with a 2.26 ERA. The Marlins added Castillo to their 40-man roster after the season.


San Diego Padres

Castillo was part of a scuttled trade that briefly made him a member of the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
organization in the summer of 2016. On July 29, the Marlins traded Castillo along with
Jarred Cosart Jarred Lynn Cosart (born May 25, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, and San Diego Padres from 2013 to 2017 Career Cosart attended Clear Cree ...
,
Josh Naylor Joshua-Douglas James Naylor (born June 22, 1997) is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians. The ...
, and
Carter Capps Carter Lewis Capps (born August 7, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, and current pitching coach for the Seattle Redhawks. Capps played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Miami M ...
to the Padres for pitchers
Andrew Cashner Andrew Burton Cashner (born September 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red ...
,
Colin Rea Colin David Rea (born July 1, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and in Nippon Profe ...
, and Tayron Guerrero. However, Castillo returned to the Marlins two days later, after Rea exited his first start as a Marlin with an elbow injury and was sent back to the Padres. Castillo never pitched in the Padres organization.


Cincinnati Reds

On January 19, 2017, the Marlins traded Castillo,
Austin Brice Austin Robert Brice (born June 19, 1992) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He is the first Hong Kong–bor ...
, and Isaiah White to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
for starter
Dan Straily Daniel Steven Straily (born December 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. The Oakland Athletics selected Straily in the 24th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, and he made his Ma ...
. Castillo began 2017 with the
Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home ga ...
. In 14 starts in Double-A, he had a 4–4 record and 2.58 ERA. On June 23, 2017, the Reds promoted Castillo, who made his MLB debut against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. Castillo pitched for the Reds the rest of the season, going 3–7 with a 3.12 ERA in 15 starts. He returned to Cincinnati's starting rotation in 2018: in 31 starts, he posted a record of 10–12 with an ERA of 4.30 in innings. On March 19, 2019, Castillo was named the Reds' Opening Day starter. He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April. He set career highs with 15 wins, 226 strikeouts, and 79 walks in 2019, posting a 3.40 ERA in innings. He was named to his first
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, where he pitched a clean inning, striking out
Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
and J.D. Martinez. In the abbreviated 2020 season, Castillo had a 4–6 record and a 3.21 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 70 innings of work. He started Game 2 of the
Wild Card Series The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was instituted in 2012. This became a best ...
, picking up the loss against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
after allowing one run in five innings in his postseason debut. In 2021, Castillo recorded a 3.98 ERA with 192 strikeouts in innings over 33 starts. He tied for the MLB lead with 16 losses and led the NL with 75 walks. He induced the most groundballs of all major league pitchers. On March 22, 2022, Castillo signed a $7.35 million contract with the Reds, avoiding salary arbitration. He missed the first month of 2022 and started the year with a 4–4 record and 2.86 ERA in 14 starts with the Reds. He was the Reds' lone selection to the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, where he struck out two batters and allowed a single in an inning of work.


Seattle Mariners

On July 29, 2022, the Reds traded Castillo to the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
in exchange for prospects
Noelvi Marte Noelvi Marte (born October 16, 2001) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023. Career Seattle Mariners Marte signed with the Seattle M ...
, Edwin Arroyo, Andrew Moore, and
Levi Stoudt Levi Stoudt (born December 4, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he made his debut in 2023. Amateur ...
. On September 24, Castillo signed a five-year, $108 million contract with a sixth-year option. Castillo had a 3.19 ERA in 11 starts with Seattle in 2022. He helped the Mariners end their 21-year playoff drought. In Game 1 of the
Wild Card Series The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was instituted in 2012. This became a best ...
, he threw scoreless innings, striking out 5 and allowing 6 hits in a 4–0 Mariners win. Castillo was the first Mariners starter to pitch at least 7 innings in the postseason without allowing a run. He started Game 2 of the
American League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
and continued his scoreless postseason streak until allowing a two-run home run to Yordan Alvarez in the sixth inning and picking up the loss against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
. Castillo started on Opening Day in 2023, earning a win over the
Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...
after throwing six scoreless innings. Castillo had an ERA of 2.84 after three months and was named to his third
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, though he sat out the Midsummer Classic in Seattle. He faded slightly in the second half, finishing the year with a 14–9 record and 3.34 ERA, with 219 strikeouts in 197 innings. He finished fifth in American League
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
voting and had the fifth lowest ERA in the league. Castillo was the Mariners Opening Day starter again in 2024, this time losing to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. After a rough first three starts, in which he gave up four earned runs in each outing and could not finish the sixth inning, Castillo returned to form the rest of the season, posting a 3.33 ERA after April 8, nearly matching his 2023 run prevention rate. His season ended early, with a hamstring injury sending him to the injured list on September 10. In 2024, he was 11–12 with a 3.64 ERA and 175 strikeouts in innings pitched.


Pitching style

Castillo pitches from a low arm slot, with his arm angle lower over the course of his career. Early in his career, he combined a good
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...
to go along with a fastball that averaged between 95 and 97 miles per hour and a slider. In 2019, he had the most valuable changeup in baseball. He used four-seam fastballs and sliders against left-handers, while using two-seamers and changeups against right-handers as strikeout pitches. Over time, Castillo's changeup became less effective and less used. While his changeup was his most frequently thrown pitch from 2019 to 2021, thrown at least 30 percent of the time each season, he relied more on his fastball starting in 2022, increasing his fastball usage from 29 percent in 2021 to 45 percent in 2024. He had one of the 10 most valuable fastballs in each season from 2022 to 2024. His changeup dropped to his fourth most frequent pitch, thrown only 14 percent of the time in 2024. Since joining the Mariners in 2022, Castillo has also limited his walks. He walked 8.8 percent of batters faced in his first five seasons with the Reds, leading the league in walks in 2021, but reduced his walk rate to 6.8 percent in his first two full seasons in Seattle.


Personal life

Castillo and his wife Elanyi have two daughters. He enjoys fishing. Castillo's baseball idol was
Pedro Martínez Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to . As of 2023, M ...
, who gave him advice on throwing a changeup. Castillo is nicknamed "La Piedra" (Spanish for "The Rock.") He dressed up as
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
for a Mariners television commercial in 2024.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Castillo, Luis 1992 births Living people American League All-Stars Augusta GreenJackets players Cincinnati Reds players Dayton Dragons players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Giants players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Jacksonville Suns players Jupiter Hammerheads players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen National League All-Stars Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Seattle Mariners players Baseball players from Baní