Jose Castillo

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #12 prospect in 2004
  Castillo grew up in Venezuela idolizing countrymen such as Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion, Ozzie Guillen and Omar Vizquel. He played primarily at shortstop until last May, when he moved to second base when then-Pirates second baseman Pokey Reese suffered a season-ending thumb injury. After Pittsburgh traded for young middle infielders Freddy Sanchez and Bobby Hill, Castillo figures to play at short in Triple-A this year. Though he has a very strong arm and good range, some scouts believe he'll eventually outgrow the middle infield and move to third base or the outfield. Castillo has a line-drive stroke that has sporadically produced homers. He was able to hit for average in Double-A last season after a slow start, but his power and plate discipline dipped. He runs well and is a threat to steal. While Castillo has good defensive tools, he tends to get lazy with his throwing mechanics and sometimes loses his concentration on routine plays. If he performs well at Nashville, he'll be in line for a September callup and in position to challenge for a starting job in 2005.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #4 prospect in 2003
  Castillo repeated high Class A after having arthroscopic wrist surgery following the 2001 season. Though he was disappointed to be back at Lynchburg, he helped lead the Hillcats to the league championship. Managers named him the Carolina League's most exciting player and best defensive infielder. Castillo can hit for both average and power, with scouts estimating he'll hit 20-25 homers a year in the majors. He has plus range at shortstop and an outstanding arm, which enables him to make plays from deep in the hole. Castillo is a slightly above-average runner, though he doesn't project as a big basestealer. Castillo needs to improve his plate discipline and cut down on trying to make too many flashy plays in the field. He has a thick lower body, leaving some to wonder if he may eventually have to move to third base. With nothing left to prove at Class A, Castillo will move to Double-A this season. The Pirates have a young shortstop in Jack Wilson, but if he doesn't improve his hitting then Castillo will be ready to take over in 2005.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #5 prospect in 2002
  Castillo burst into prospect status in 2000 but struggled in the first half of the 2001 season at Lynchburg, hitting .200 in the first two months as he played with a torn wrist ligament. He finished strong before having arthroscopic surgery in early September. Castillo has plenty of tools, chief among them a quick bat with good pop. He also continues to make improvement on the defensive side. He has above-average range, soft hands and a strong arm that enables him to make throws from deep in the hole at shortstop. Castillo is a plus runner who can steal a base. Wrist injuries can linger and the hope is Castillo can regain the power in his bat. He also needs to show more consistency on defense, though he did cut his errors from 60 in 2000 to 37. Castillo showed enough in the second half of the 2001 season, despite playing hurt, to make the Pirates believe he still has a bright future. That could wind up being at second base, especially because Pittsburgh liked rookie shortstop Jack Wilson's defense last year. Castillo probably will go back to Lynchburg to start 2002, with a promotion to Altoona likely once he proves he's healthy.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #5 prospect in 2001
  Castillo burst onto the scene last year in his first taste of full-season ball. He established himself as one of the better prospects in the South Atlantic League by showing plenty of tools. He greatly improved his power last season, as he more than tripled his GCL homer output from the previous year. He has a cannon arm, easily making throws from deep in the hole at shortstop, while also showing good range. He is erratic in the field and tries to force too many plays, and he led the minor leagues with 60 errors last year. However, many slick-fielding shortstops in the major leagues had high error totals in Class A, and Castillo committed just 18 miscues in the second half of the season. His strike-zone judgment isn't good and he needs work on his baserunning. A shortstop with above-average power is intriguing, though Castillo must gain defensive consistency to make it to the major leagues at the position. If he doesn't show enough improvement with the glove, he has the arm and power to shift to third base. He likely will move one step at a time, making 2004 his ETA in Pittsburgh.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Carolina League #2 prospect in 2002
  It doesn't take a scout's eye to see why Castillo was considered the CL's most exciting player. His defensive skills had managers, players and fans raving. "I think he's tremendous with a good, strong arm and a good glove. He makes plays all over the field and has a cannon," Shines said. "He has a chance to hit and hit with some power. His speed is average or better than average, but he has everything else. Especially the arm strength, that's something you only see on plus players." Castillo has as many as four plus tools. He's the best defensive player in the Pirates system and has blossomed into a dangerous hitter. He had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn wrist ligament, but showed no ill effects by posting career highs in home runs and RBIs.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #13 prospect in 2000
  Castillo compares tool-wise with Phillips and 1999 SAL shortstop prospect Felipe Lopez in that he has superb range and the potential to hit for power and average. Castillo also was voted the infielder with the best arm in a midseason poll of SAL managers. "He made a lot of errors," Legg said. "But most of the ones I saw were due to a lack of concentration. With a little more focus, he’ll be much better." Castillo’s pop is intriguing as he more than tripled his combined total of five homers from his first two pro seasons. If he can tighten his strike zone, he’ll become even more dangerous.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #86 prospect in 2003

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Castillo compares tool-wise with Phillips and 1999 SAL shortstop prospect Felipe Lopez in that he has superb range and the potential to hit for power and average. Castillo also was voted the infielder with the best arm in a midseason poll of SAL managers. "He made a lot of errors," Legg said. "But most of the ones I saw were due to a lack of concentration. With a little more focus, he’ll be much better." Castillo’s pop is intriguing as he more than tripled his combined total of five homers from his first two pro seasons. If he can tighten his strike zone, he’ll become even more dangerous.