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Second Base – Rodolfo Castro
So far this season Rodolfo Castro has done enough for the Pirates to give him the nod to start at second base. Though a deep position throughout the team’s organization, I think that Castro will be the main second baseman for most of, if not all of 2022 until 2020 first-round pick Nick Gonzales arrives.
Castro got his promotion to the majors this year after a strong season at Double-A Altoona. The slugger hit .300/.349/.527 line with a .373 wOBA, and 132 wRC+. Castro slugged 11 home runs in 239 plate appearances. Plus he had a .227 ISO. Though he walked just 6.1% of the time, he had a solid 20.1% strikeout rate.
Castro has translated that power into the big leagues. He has a .475 slugging percentage, 5 home runs, and .271 ISO through his first 55 big league plate appearances. Plus he’s walking at a higher rate with a 7.3% walk rate. His 21.8% strikeout rate is also a solid mark. Castro needs to get the ball in the air more frequently. His 52.3% ground ball rate and 11.4% line drive are holding him back, especially given his solid power.
As a defender, he’s an average glove with a 50-future fielding grade by FanGraphs. He also has an average arm. Castro’s power potential as well as his ability to play second base, with him being able to fill in at shortstop and third base will get him more than regular playing time in 2022.