INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, Rodolfo Castro has provided some thump with the bat this year.
In 81 games between the big leagues and Triple-A, Castro has 10 home runs, 12 doubles, and a pair of triples.
Castro has shown power and a low average from the middle infield throughout his career. When he was sent down to Indianapolis in June, he was focused on the other side of the ball.
“I came down here with a clear idea that I needed to keep working on my defense,” Castro said through the translation of manager Miguel Perez. “I have had some success in the past, and I think defense is what got me up there. I have created a routine a few years ago, and I try to keep working on it. The effort is something that I came down to focus on.”
In his stint in Pittsburgh this season, defensive improvements were a glaring need. Castro committed five errors in 19 contests with the Pirates.
In Indianapolis, Castro has committed nine errors in 60 games. He’s also had a few amazing plays, such as the play here where he displayed a lot of range:
We love a good web gem.
When it comes to strong defense and rangy plays like this, Castro knows what it takes.
“You have to anticipate it, think about it, and be aware of what’s going on,” Castro said. “You have to pay attention to the spacing.”
Castro went on to describe that play in particular.
“At that point we were playing infield in,” said Castro. “It made it easy, because I anticipated all of that before the pitch. The pre-pitch has been really good, so it allows me to make that kind of play.”
Perez has been working with Castro since 2019, and has seen what Castro is capable of. Much like the big play above, Perez knows that preparation is the key. To aid that, the two developed a program that continues from the beginning of their relationship through today.
“His defense has been tremendous,” Perez said. “I’ve had Rodolfo since ‘19. One of the things that we were trying to create back in the day, was to create a routine. Now, he was 19 or 20 years old, it was to learn how to get prepared for the game. He did a great job back then. He’d start to come out early, which nowadays is one of his biggest things.”
Perez also gave credit to assistant coach Gary Green as a big asset in aiding Castro and the other infielders when it comes to defensive growth.
One aspect that has been a bit tricky for Castro has been bouncing around the infield.
This season, he has played 12 games at second, 28 at third, and 20 at shortstop with Indianapolis. Of his 172 innings defensively in Pittsburgh, 155 were at shortstop.
Castro has played around the diamond for most of his career, but he has about 600 more innings at second than anywhere else, with 1742.2 innings played. Shortstop is his next prevalent position at 1162.1 frames played.
“It was very difficult in the beginning to bounce around,” Castro said. “Coming up as a young player, you always have the mindset that you want to play one position. When you advance in your career, and move higher, you start to realize that versatility is something today that is really good. I feel better knowing that I am capable of playing a number of positions on the field.”
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Williams: What it Takes to Go From the Draft to the Majors
Bubba Chandler is Overpowering Hitters With His Fastball
Rodolfo Castro is working on his defense to get back to Pittsburgh
WTM: The Pirates Definitely Aren’t Swingers
