JOSE CASTILLO

3/19/81; NDFA '97; Venezuela
R/R; 6-0, 180

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
1999 R
.266
.316
.387
173
9
0
4
11
23
8
 
2000 A
.299
.346
.480
529
32
8
16
29
107
16
12
2001 A+
.245
.288
.359
485
20
7
7
21
94
23
10
2002 A+
.300
.370
.453
503
25
2
16
49
95
27
14
2003 AA
.287
.339
.390
498
24
6
5
40
81
19
10
2004 NL
.256
.298
.368
383
15
2
8
23
92
3
2

Castillo in 2004 established himself as the Pirates' 2B. Originally a SS in the minors, the Pirates began playing him at 2B at Altoona in 2003 as a contingency measure when Pokey Reese was hurt. He was expected to move back to SS in AAA in 2004, but got a break when Freddy Sanchez was unable to play in training camp and the team was concerned about Bobby Hill's health and defense. Castillo played exceptionally well in the exhibition games and began the year sharing the position with Hill, but getting the majority of the playing time. In 2002-03, Castillo was considered one of the top position prospects in the system. In the low minors he showed good power and at times spectacular fielding ability, although he was plagued by errors—60 in 2000 alone. He struggled through a poor 2001 season at Lynchburg, while trying to play through a wrist injury. He returned there in 2002 and had an outstanding season. The following year, at Altoona, he struggled more with the bat, as he often lunged at offspeed pitches, robbing him of his power. He continued this tendency in the majors. After a good start in 2004, he slumped as he saw progressively more breaking balls and fewer pitches in the strike zone. He hit a low point in early August, as his BA dropped to .230 and he was showing no power at all. Hitting coach Gerald Perry worked with him to try to get him to stay back on breaking balls, and he responded by hitting 347/388/583. The bad habits returned in September, however, and he hit only 200/210/225. Overall, though, he hit about what should have been expected considering that he was making the jump from AA. The Pirates are convinced he'll eventually hit for good power, as he's strong for his size. Castillo did a good job defensively, making spectacular plays at times. His zone rating was below average, but that isn't surprising for a rookie. His range is very good and he should get to more balls as he becomes more experienced. Where he particularly excelled, however, was on the DP pivot. Thanks mainly to Castillo and Jack Wilson, the Pirates easily led MLB in DPs. Castillo's best asset defensively is a strong arm, which helped him a great deal on the pivot. He's considered by scouts to be "thick" in his lower half, which some think may require him to move to 3B eventually, but it probably didn't hurt him on the DP pivot. With Wilson becoming a star, there is no longer talk about Castillo returning to SS, although the possibility of him moving to 3B still gets mentioned. He'll open 2004 at 2B and will be expected to provide a significant portion of the improvement that the team hopes to see from its young players.

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