Castro still slick in field, and hits as well
Shortstop leads PCL in his fielding position
Straight from the that’s-not-news department: Daniel Castro is an excellent defensive infielder.
Castro leads the Albuquerque Isotopes and all regular Pacific Coast League shortstops in fielding percentage. Coming into Friday’s game against visiting Las Vegas, he’d made two errors in 232 fielding chances for a .991 mark.
Castro played flawless defense once again in the Isotopes’ 6-4 victory over the 51s on Friday night.
The 24-year-old from Guaymas, Mexico, has earned a slick-fielding reputation in the major leagues, too. In 72 games with the Atlanta Braves over the past two seasons, Castro committed just one error while splitting time between second base, shortstop and third.
“He makes really difficult plays, makes them repeatedly,” Isotopes starting pitcher Barry Enright said, “and makes them look so effortless.”
Now for the surprising news: Castro is the Isotopes’ leading hitter this season.
Except for Ryan McMahon (.380) and Tom Murphy (.325), who have played in fewer than half of the
’Topes’ 86 games between them, Castro’s .324 average leads the club. His 33 RBIs rank third.
Not bad for a guy who hit .217 in his two stints in Atlanta.
Does playing in hitter-friendly Albuquerque make that big a difference?
“It’s different because I can hit a home run here,” Castro said through an interpreter. “I like this ballpark.”
But Castro, who has three long balls this season, has another explanation for his overall offensive surge. It’s a product of signing with the Colorado Rockies as a free agent last offseason.
“In the past I always had a big leg kick,” Castro said. “The Rockies got rid of it, now I’m hitting much better.”
Castro’s hot bat can only bolster his chances of getting called up to the majors for a third straight season, but Castro will always consider his hitting to be a bonus.
“My career is based on defense,” he said. “I take more pride in that.”
Isotopes pitchers have been delighted to know Castro has their backs.
“My last couple outings he’s made some amazing plays,” said left-hander Ryan Carpenter. “You love a guy like that. He gets us back in the dugout on defense and he’s been tearing it up at the plate.”
Enright has also come to appreciate Castro’s contributions, though such was not always the case.
“I played against him in winter ball in Mexico,” Enright said, “and he always seemed to make plays to take runs away from us. It’s so nice to see it from the other side.”
Enright is not overly shocked to see Castro collecting big hits either.
“I know in the past he struggled a little with hitting,” Enright said, “but he always gave me fits. I definitely knew he was capable.”
Castro said his goal now is to keep his hitting stroke consistent. The leg kick, it seems, is a thing of the past.
“No mas!” he said with a grin.