Starlin Castro (2B/3B, MIA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 22% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: As much as I'm a believer in Starlin Castro's abilities, I must acknowledge his stay in Miami hasn't been glorious. Although he finished 2018 with a 2.3 WAR (his best since 2014) and a wRC+ of 101, those numbers were nothing otherworldly. In 2019, they're far worse (74 wRC+ and minus-0.4 WAR) and could be pointing toward a definitive decline. Fortunately for Castro, he has been able to reverse that path during the last few weeks.

Since the start of August and after Miami couldn't find a trade partner to move him, Castro is slashing .333/.550/.889. His ISO of .217 is the highest of his monthly splits in 2019 and he has been able to lower his strikeout rate to 12.9%. His counting stats also jump off the page with almost two weeks still to go in the month. He has hit three home runs, 14 RBI and scored 10 runs himself. Castro has also been able to bump his power, hitting more balls in the air and further (HR/FB rate of 18.8%; Hard Hit% of 45.3% in August).

Of course, long gone are the days of peak Castro. Even with that, he has finally been able to find his pace. The arrival of Isan Díaz has moved him to third base but he will remain in the lineup no matter what. In his last 30 games, Castro has only been held hitless nine times and he has had multi-hit games also on nine occasions. His hitting prowess and late-season improvement make him a good addition in leagues of 14+ teams and NL-only ones, even more, being usable at two infield positions.