Maximo Alberto Castillo (born May 4, 1999) is a

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

n 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

Dorados de Chihuahua The Dorados de Chihuahua (English: Chihuahua Goldens) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Chihuahua. Established in 1940, the Dorados have played in the ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously played in

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) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

and

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Career

Toronto Blue Jays

Castillo signed a minor league contract with the

on September 25, 2015, and was assigned to the

Dominican Summer League Blue Jays The Dominican Summer Blue Jays are a baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The DSL is a rookie level circuit, and therefore the team is a rookie affiliate. The team plays in the San Pedro de Macorís division. Facilities The team plays ...

for the 2016 season. Later that season, he was promoted to the rookie–level

Gulf Coast League Blue Jays The Florida Complex League Blue Jays are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The team plays its ...

. Castillo began the 2017 season with the GCL Blue Jays, before being promoted to the rookie–level

Bluefield Blue Jays The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a histori ...

later that season. After he finished the 2017 season with them, he was promoted to the Single–A

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Athletics (baseball), Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Fie ...

to start the 2018 season. After spending the whole season with the team, he started the 2019 season with the High–A

Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...

before being promoted to the Triple–A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. Castillo did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Castillo spent the 2021 campaign with the Double–A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...

. He started the 2022 season with Buffalo. On June 19, 2022, Castillo was selected to the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his debut that day, allowing two

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...

one in one

inning pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is e ...

. Castillo was in the majors for a couple days before being optioned back down to Buffalo, but he was recalled on July 7, after Blue Jays starting pitchers

Yusei Kikuchi is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) fo ...

and Kevin Gausman came down with injuries. Castillo made his first MLB career start on July 10. In 9 games for the Blue Jays, he logged a 3.05 ERA with 20 strikeouts over innings of work.

Kansas City Royals

On August 2, 2022, the Blue Jays traded Castillo and Samad Taylor to the

in exchange for

Whit Merrifield Whitley David Merrifield (born January 24, 1989) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillie ...

. On August 18, Castillo was recalled from the

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...

. Castillo pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run, while striking out 3 batters in his Royals debut. He appeared in 5 total games (4 starts) for Kansas City down the stretch, struggling to an 0-2 record and 9.16 ERA with 17 strikeouts in innings pitched. Castillo was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2023 season. In 7 games for the Royals, he posted a 4.43 ERA with 10 strikeouts across innings pitched. On December 19, 2023, Castillo was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

Philadelphia Phillies

On January 2, 2024, Castillo was claimed off waivers by 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 ...

. On February 2, the Red Sox designated him for assignment following the acquisition of

Tyler Heineman Tyler Andrew Heineman (born June 19, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins. The Houston Astros selected Heineman in the eighth r ...

. He was then claimed by the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

on February 7. Castillo was optioned to the Triple–A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

to begin the 2024 season. In 14 games (13 starts) split between Lehigh and the Double–A

Reading Fightin Phils The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The R ...

, he struggled to a combined 0–6 record and 7.62 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 52 innings of work. Castillo was designated for assignment by Philadelphia on August 9. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A Lehigh Valley on August 11. Castillo was released by the Phillies organization the following day.

El Águila de Veracruz

On February 5, 2025, Castillo signed with

El Águila de Veracruz El Águila de Veracruz (English: The Eagle of Veracruz) is a professional baseball team that plays in the Mexican League. Based in Veracruz, Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico, they play their home games at the Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila. Histor ...

of the

. In three starts for Veracruz, he struggled to an 0-2 record and 87.75 ERA with three strikeouts across innings pitched. Castillo was released by the team on May 19.

Dorados de Chihuahua

On May 21, 2025, Castillo signed with the

of the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castillo, Max 1999 births Living people Bluefield Blue Jays players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cardenales de Lara players Dominican Summer League Blue Jays players Dunedin Blue Jays players El Águila de Veracruz players Gulf Coast Blue Jays players Kansas City Royals players Lansing Lugnuts players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Omaha Storm Chasers players Reading Fightin Phils players Toronto Blue Jays players