Jose Castro
| AB | 2611 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .255 |
| OBP | .3 |
| SLG | .307 |
| HR | 6 |
- Full name Jose H. Castro
- Born 11/05/1986 in Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: S / Throws: R
- School Miami Dade CC
- Drafted in the 32nd round (959th overall) by the New York Mets in 2005.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A year ago, Castro was an afterthought in the Mets system. But after he returned to switch-hitting, Castro turned himself into a prospect and caught the eye of the Reds, who picked him up along with Sean Henry in an August trade for Jeff Conine. Resuming switch-hitting did wonders for Castro's bat, as he was hitting .348 before he hurt his hand (an injury that had bothered him before this year as well) at the end of June and hit .312 overall, including a stint in Double-A. Helpless to the tune of a .206 average against righthanders in 2006, he batted .321 from the left side against them last year. One opposing manager thought Castro's lefty swing even looked smoother and more natural than his righty stroke. He's a tremendous contact hitter, though he offers no power (three homers in three pro seasons) and lacks the instincts and pure speed to be a basestealing threat. A slightly above-average runner, he was caught 10 times in 18 steal attempts last year. Defensively, Castro has the loose actions that scouts look for in a shortstop. He has enough arm for the position, shows a quick first step and reads balls off the bat well. He turned the double play effectively as a second baseman in Rookie ball before moving back to his natural position in 2006. Castro has the defensive ability to make it to the big leagues as a middle infielder, though his lack of power and blazing speed make it more likely he'll be a utilityman than a regular. He'll open 2008 in Double-A.
