Miami Marlins 2022 Starting Lineup: Infielder Samuel Castro

Samuel Castro will be entering his fifth professional season with the Miami Marlins.

This month, we’re completing our 2018 Miami Marlins season review started on September 21st. This is the 272nd part of a 286 part series.

Samuel Castro is a 5’10”, 160 lb. switch-hitting and right-handed throwing pitcher from Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, population 75,827. The municipality has produced one major leaguer despite being the home to 25 minor league teams, shortstop Andres Thomas of the Atlanta Braves from 1985 through 1990.

Castro was born on October 16th, 1997, and on July 4th, 2014 signed his first professional deal with the Miami Marlins for $150,000. In 2015, he received his first assignment, to the rookie-level GCL Marlins in the Gulf Coast League.

Castro appeared in a team-leading 54 games for the GCL Marlins, and hit .265/.332/.325 with 10 stolen bases and 13 RBI. He led the club with 200 at bats, 36 runs scored, seven HBP, and four sacrifice flies, striking out 41 times and drawing 14 walks. In 44 games at second base, he fielded at a .973 clip while turning in a mark of .872 at shortstop in 12 games.

2016 would see Castro promoted to the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs in the New York-Penn League. He led that team in games played as well, with 66, but slashed a disappointing .180/.253/.221 with 17 RBI and 20 walks versus 51 K’s. Castro played a lot more at shortstop, fielding .891 in 54 games.

Castro’s underwhelming season would precipitate another season with the Muckdogs, and he responded with a .269/.314/.281 slashline that was more in keeping with his talents. He played in 41 contests and collected 14 stolen bases and 12 RBI, with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts. Playing entirely at second base, he fielded at .970, taking 197 chances with only six errors. Here he is with the Grasshoppers, courtesy of 2080 Baseball:

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With his mastery of the short-season-A level more-or-less complete, Castro played his 2018 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers at the full-season-A South Atlantic League. In 61 games, he hit .262/.330/.359, with six stolen bases, 23 RBI, 11 walks, and 52 strikeouts. Castro had 13 multi-hit games for the Hoppers, including on April 28th, when he hit two singles and a double, collecting three RBI in a 10-8 loss to the Asheville Tourists. On May 12th, he collected a single and two doubles in a 3-1 victory against the Augusta Greenjackets.

Defensively at the new level, Castro turned in a .950 fielding percentage at second base, and a .952 playing in 11 games at the hot corner. Currently assigned to the Clinton LumberKings in the full-season-A Midwest League, he’s on track to compete for a major league roster spot in 2022. Expect him to spend this season with the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League.

Keep checking back here as we finish up the series with our final 14 articles, continuing tomorrow with Jonathan Rodriguez and Brett Graves.