Luis Castillo Cincinnati Reds Career
Castillo, Austin Brice, and Isaiah White were traded to the Cincinnati Reds on January 19, 2017, in exchange for Dan Straily. With the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, he opened the year.
He made his Major League Baseball debut against the Washington Nationals on June 23, 2017. Prior to being called up, he had a 4–4 record with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts for Pensacola.
After being promoted, Castillo spent the rest of the season with the Reds, posting a 3–7 record and a 3.12 ERA in 15 appearances.
At the beginning of the year, he was a member of Cincinnati’s starting lineup. He compiled a record of 10–12 with a 4.30 ERA in 169+2/3 innings in 31 starts for the Reds.
On March 19, 2019, Castillo was named the starting pitcher for the Reds’ Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 28.
It was his first All-Star Game appearance, with a 15–8 record, 3.40 ERA, and 226 strikeouts.
With 89 strikeouts in 70.0 innings of work, Castillo had a 4–6 record and a 3.21 ERA in the 2020 season.
He had a 3.98 ERA in 33 starts in 2021, with 192 strikeouts in 187+2/3 innings. As a pitcher, he was tied for the league lead in losses (16) and had 75 walks in the National League.
At 56.6 percent, he had the greatest ground ball percentage among all big league pitchers.
By signing a $7.35 million contract with the Reds on March 22, 2022, Castillo avoided the risk of salary arbitration.
It’s no surprise that Castillo is a low-thirds pitcher like his idol Pedro Martinez, but his changeup is among the best in the MLB.
For left-handers, he relies on fastball and slider combinations, while using two-seamers and changeups for right-handers, as strikeout pitches, according to Statcast data.
How Tall Is Luis Castillo?
Luis Castillo stands at a height of 1.88 m