Miami Marlins Win One of Three Against Phillies: Post Series Grades

Starlin Castro +.066

One of the newest Miami Marlins, Starlin Castro is a 6’2″, 230 lb. right-handed hitting middle-infielder from Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. Even though he has just turned 28-years-old, he’s entering his ninth major league season. After six seasons with the Cubs, he spent the last two with with the Yankees.

Castro is listed as a shortstop / second baseman. He spent his first five years with the Cubs as their starter at shortstop. Since then, he’s appeared primarily at second base. Expected to man the load for the Marlins this season at shortstop, he’s yet to net a Gold Glove.

That’s not to say that Castro is substandard at the second base position. Far from it. After 297 games at second, his fielding percentage rates higher (.975) than at shortstop in 847 games (.963).

Offensively, Castro has slashed .282/.320/.413 through his career. He’s a three-time .300+ hitter, reaching the mark in 2010 for the Cubs and in 2017 with the Yankees, and surpassing it with a .307 mark in 2011 with Chicago. It’s not out of character to expect him to approach the mark once again.

Castro’s 99 career homers are concentrated at the back half of his career to this point. From a 0.6% as a rookie to a mark of 3.4% in each of the last two years.

Castro batted third through the whole series, and started out in game one with a two-out single (+.012). He flew out to right with one out in the fourth (-.015), then flew out to center for the second out of the sixth (-.030). He flew out for the second out of the ninth (-.002).

In Game Two, Castro doubled to center field with one out, none on, and one in in the top of the first. (+.036). He mostly erased that for the first out of the third with a man on first, when he forced Lewis Brinson out at second with an infield grounder.  (-.027). He grounded out to lead off the sixth (-.001).

Game Three would see Castro draw a walk in the top of the first (+.022) and later scored. He struck out looking to lead off the third (-.022) and grounded out to end the fifth (-.015). He drew a walk with a man on first and nobody out in the eighth inning (+.099), scoring on Brian Anderson’s double.