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Luis Castillo 2025 Player Outlook: Has Father Time Finally Caught Up?
1 day agoVeteran Luis Castillo had a solid year in 2024, posting an 11-12 record along with a 3.64 ERA. He was good, but not the same Luis Castillo fantasy managers have come to know and love over the years. His 24.3% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2018. His 3.91 FIP was also his worst mark since 2018, and his 3.82 xFIP is a career worst number. What happened? Is father time simply catching up to Castillo? His velocity was a career low at 95.6 mph. He also threw his famous changeup a career low 14.3% of the time. The changeup was hit hard as well, with a .287 AVG, .545 SLG, and .367 wOBA against last season. He also had an alarmingly low 14% swinging strike rate with the pitch in 2024, 6.7% lower than his career average. It's true that Castillo has relied less and less on the changeup as he's aged, but the pitch seems no longer effective. It's not all doom and gloom for Castillo though; batters did hit just .203 with a .365 SLG off his fastball in 2024. The fastball has remained effective despite diminishing velocity, but it's a scary prospect to draft Castillo at cost. He's currently going at pick 86, and he's someone to avoid at that price.
