How Much Has Castillo Actually Improved?

[Sea Ray]

Geez guys - he’s not saying Castillo sucks - he’s questioning whether he’s really made the step up to being elite.

It’s a fair question that’s worth debating, and there’s no need to get overly defensive. There’s a reasonable point in there and if you think he’s out to lunch, debate the points with facts rather than agenda.

Very good advice and this applies to many threads on RZ

[Sea Ray]

If Castillo hasn’t been an ace pitcher this year I legitimately do not know what an ace is.

I’m not being hyperbolic.

That's an easy one. Aces don't give up big leads nor do they walk two straight guys in the top of the 7th when he's got a lead. He's the closest thing the Reds have to an ace but that says more about the Reds than anything else

[RedTeamGo!]

Attachment 15006

Lol, did you make this or did this already exist in the wild?

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That's an easy one. Aces don't give up big leads nor do they walk two straight guys in the top of the 7th when he's got a lead. He's the closest thing the Reds have to an ace but that says more about the Reds than anything else

Aces don’t give up big leads? Like ever?

[Sea Ray]

Lol, did you make this or did this already exist in the wild?

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Aces don’t give up big leads? Like ever?

I'd never say never but Castillo is not a guy I say "OK, he's been given a nice lead. We got this game in the bag." I sweat it out when he's on the mound wondering if he's going to walk the ballpark

[Kc61]

Castillo is very difficult to hit. He’s allowed 5.7 hits per nine, excellent. League leading.

Castillo walks too many. He has a walk rate of 4.83, much too high.

The result is a 1.18 WHIP, quite excellent for a starter despite the walks. And for those noting that WHIP doesn’t consider the kind or quality of hits, his HR allowed rate is 0.79, also excellent.

We can debate the appropriate adjectives for this pitcher, ace, non-ace, but he’s pretty darn good.

[CrackerJack]

Castillo is very difficult to hit. He’s allowed 5.7 hits per nine, excellent. League leading.

He walks too many. He has a walk rate of 4.83, much too high.

The result is a WHIP of 1.18, quite excellent despite the walks. And for those noting that WHIP doesn’t consider the kind or quality of base hits, Castillo has a HR allowed rate of 0.79, also quite excellent.

He’s a terrific pitcher but with too many walks. Good enough for my team any day of the week.

So he literally gives up the fewest hits, and has given up the most walks. Frustrating really.

[RedTeamGo!]

Castillo is very difficult to hit. He’s allowed 5.7 hits per nine, excellent. League leading.

Castillo walks too many. He has a walk rate of 4.83, much too high.

The result is a WHIP of 1.18, quite excellent for a starter despite the walks. And for those noting that WHIP doesn’t consider the kind or quality of hits, he has a HR allowed rate of 0.79, also excellent.

We can debate the appropriate adjectives for this pitcher, but he’s fine with me.

Exactly. And the thing about the walks is that this season is completely out of whack with the rest of his career. I think folks are going overboard with their analysis of him in this thread because of his last start in Milwaukee.

[757690]

Castillo is very difficult to hit. He’s allowed 5.7 hits per nine, excellent. League leading.

Castillo walks too many. He has a walk rate of 4.83, much too high.

The result is a 1.18 WHIP, quite excellent for a starter despite the walks. And for those noting that WHIP doesn’t consider the kind or quality of hits, his HR allowed rate is 0.79, also excellent.

We can debate the appropriate adjectives for this pitcher, ace, non-ace, but he’s pretty darn good.

Exactly how good Castillo is, is relevant to the Reds future plans.

This off season, the Reds will have multiple holes to fill in the rotation. If Castillo can be a true #1 starter going forward, that makes filling those holes much easier. If not, that complicates this off season. Obviously, we have the second half of the season to figure it out, but it’s an important discussion to have, imo.

[InsaneinthBrame]

Exactly. And the thing about the walks is that this season is completely out of whack with the rest of his career. I think folks are going overboard with their analysis of him in this thread because of his last start in Milwaukee.

For me it is not his last start. It has been the entire season ever our announcers have stated he throws the fewest pitches in the strikezone. My biggest frustration is that when gets two strikes will not challenge hitters he keeps throwing pitches out of the zone trying to get guys to chase. Too many time 0-2 and 1-2 becomes 3-2 and leads to walks. It also leads to high pitch counts and pitch inefficiency. This is what keeps him from being an ace. An ace has to be capable when a team needs it to go 7 8 9 innings especially when you need a win or to rest the pen.

The reds need to extend him and buy out arbitration years.

[Kc61]

Exactly how good Castillo is, is relevant to the Reds future plans.

This off season, the Reds will have multiple holes to fill in the rotation. If Castillo can be a true #1 starter going forward, that makes filling those holes much easier. If not, that complicates this off season. Obviously, we have the second half of the season to figure it out, but it’s an important discussion to have, imo.

I don’t see this, 75. Strikes me that Castillo and Senzel are the two biggest no-brainers on this team. Both will be pre-arb in 2020 and quite certainly excellent players.

Whether Castillo is a #1, 2 lor 3, the Reds likely will be looking for another high end starter next season. If they want to be a top team, they need more than Castillo and Gray in that role. Roark’s a FA and may not fill a TOR role based on career numbers.

It’s an interesting topic for an academic discussion, but I don’t see any major issue concerning Castillo. He’s a high level starter, and the Reds know it.

[LexRedsFan]

Excellent point about Miller Park. Because just one starting Cincinnati against Milwaukee was great. Next time I go to Milwaukee in July they need to just find a way to manipulate rotation for him not to start there.

Need him to figure it out in case we have a WC there in early October

[ACredsfan4]

I don’t know if he tries to pick the corners or if his command is just not where it needs to be but if it’s the former he needs to attack more because his stuff is good enough. I also think if he could develop a cutter it would be beneficial, but that’s easier said than done.

[mth123]

Not going to get into the he said she said stuff, but O think Castillo's hit per 9 numbers are probably a bit lucky. His increase in walks and his drop in HR are likely related. He has started missing off the plate instead of down the middle. IMO, that is a significant improvement. Castillo is a clear frontline starter. The Reds need at least one more IMO.

[Bruce Berenyi]

he has blown to gigantic leads against mIlwuakee which killed team momentum

[Alabama]

I don’t know if he tries to pick the corners or if his command is just not where it needs to be but if it’s the former he needs to attack more because his stuff is good enough. I also think if he could develop a cutter it would be beneficial, but that’s easier said than done.

He doesn’t have the command to pick the corners so those 0-2 and 1-2 pitches are way out of the zone, Non competitive pitches. Then he misses over the plate or walks the guy. I said it a few weeks ago, when he faces a team with a patient approach, he’s in trouble.