The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Castillo releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 11 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
168 tracked release points, averaging 4.8 feet off the ground.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Castillo throws a fastball 74.5% of the time, against 41.9% when he is ahead.
47 pitches behind in the count, 43 ahead.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Castillo's 4-seam fastball moves 95.6 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 92.2 mph.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Castillo works off the plate, with only 38.7% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 753rd in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Castillo throws the changeup 30.6% of the time against left-handers and 5.9% against right-handers.
119 pitches to right-handers, 49 to left-handers.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Castillo goes to the sweeper: 36.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 20.7% the rest of the time.
47 two-strike pitches in 2025.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Castillo is weak: 82.6 mph off the bat on average, 99th percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 99th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 7th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 27.6% of the contact Castillo gives up is hit hard, 97th percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 97th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 21st in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Castillo puts 51.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 23.3% when he is ahead.
47 located pitches behind, 43 ahead.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Castillo's stuff spins at 2,082 rpm, 14th percentile in the league.
168 pitches in 2025. 14th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 672nd in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Castillo works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sweeper, Sinker and Changeup. The 4-seam fastball is 45.8% of everything he throws.
168 classified pitches in 2025.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
16.7% of Castillo's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
28 of 168 located pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Castillo's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 79.7 mph, against 75.8 off his sweeper.
77 and 42 of them thrown.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Castillo throws 40.2% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 36.8% with the bases empty.
92 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 76 with the bases empty.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Castillo throws a strike on the first pitch 65.9% of the time.
41 plate appearances started in 2025.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Castillo's 4-seam fastball averages 92.2 mph, and has touched 94.4.
77 thrown, 45.8% of his pitches.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Castillo lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.35 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
168 located pitches in 2025.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Castillo averages 88.4 mph across his arsenal, 36th percentile in the league.
168 pitches in 2025. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 503rd in MLB.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Castillo's 4-seam fastball carries 9.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 92.2 mph.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Castillo releases the ball 6.1 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
168 tracked pitches in 2025.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.5 mph separates Castillo's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 92.2 against 80.7.
77 and 42 of them respectively.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Castillo projects a .349 average, 31st percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 31st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 540th in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Castillo's sweeper spins at 2,359 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
42 thrown in 2025.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Castillo releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 11 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
168 tracked release points, averaging 4.8 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Castillo releases the ball 6.1 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
168 tracked pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Castillo throws a fastball 74.5% of the time, against 41.9% when he is ahead.
47 pitches behind in the count, 43 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Castillo goes to the sweeper: 36.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 20.7% the rest of the time.
47 two-strike pitches in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Castillo puts 51.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 23.3% when he is ahead.
47 located pitches behind, 43 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Castillo throws a strike on the first pitch 65.9% of the time.
41 plate appearances started in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Castillo's 4-seam fastball moves 95.6 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 92.2 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Castillo's 4-seam fastball carries 9.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
77 thrown, averaging 92.2 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Castillo works off the plate, with only 38.7% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 753rd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Castillo throws the changeup 30.6% of the time against left-handers and 5.9% against right-handers.
119 pitches to right-handers, 49 to left-handers.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Castillo works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sweeper, Sinker and Changeup. The 4-seam fastball is 45.8% of everything he throws.
168 classified pitches in 2025.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Castillo's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 79.7 mph, against 75.8 off his sweeper.
77 and 42 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Castillo's 4-seam fastball averages 92.2 mph, and has touched 94.4.
77 thrown, 45.8% of his pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.5 mph separates Castillo's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 92.2 against 80.7.
77 and 42 of them respectively.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Castillo's sweeper spins at 2,359 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
42 thrown in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Castillo is weak: 82.6 mph off the bat on average, 99th percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 99th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 7th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 27.6% of the contact Castillo gives up is hit hard, 97th percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 97th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 21st in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Castillo projects a .349 average, 31st percentile.
168 pitches in 2025. 31st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 540th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Castillo's stuff spins at 2,082 rpm, 14th percentile in the league.
168 pitches in 2025. 14th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 672nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
16.7% of Castillo's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
28 of 168 located pitches.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Castillo lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.35 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
168 located pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Castillo throws 40.2% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 36.8% with the bases empty.
92 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 76 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Castillo averages 88.4 mph across his arsenal, 36th percentile in the league.
168 pitches in 2025. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 503rd in MLB.
Tigers
Career team 2022