When the Chicago Cubs called up 20-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro from Double-A Tennessee early yesterday afternoon, many had their doubts as to whether or not the Cubs were making the right move.
It took about 45 minutes into his major league debut to erase any doubts that the Cubs made the right move.
In his first major league at-bat, Castro took a hanging curveball from Cincinnati Reds’ starter Homer Bailey and deposited it into the right field stands for his first major league hit and obviously his first major league home run.
However, Castro wasn’t done yet.
In his third at-bat of the game and with the bases loaded, Castro ripped a bases loaded clearing triple to center. All told, Castro went 2-for-5 with a run scored and six RBI in his major league debut.
The Cubs are hoping Castro has the same effect on the team that Ike Davis is having on the New York Mets. Davis has sparked the Mets and their fans, and the Cubs are hoping for the same results from Castro.
As long as Castro continues to hit and shows he belongs at the major league level, he will get the majority of playing time at short. Ryan Theriot will move over to second.
Here are some other facts about Starlin Castro:
Age: 20
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
College: None
Drafted: Undrafted. Signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
Minor League Stats
2008 Rookie
.311 with three home runs, a .364 OBP, five triples, and six SBs in 51 games
2009 High Single-A and Double-A
.299 with three home runs, a .342 OBP, six triples, and 28 SBs in 127 games
2010 Double-A
.376 with one home run, a .421 OBP, five triples, and four SBs in 26 games
Keith Law Ranking and Analysis
Ranking
No. 12 out of 100 best prospects in baseball in 2010
Analysis
“Castro is one of the most exciting position player prospects in the minors as a quick-twitch player with an electric bat and a hose for an arm at shortstop. As a hitter, Castro has lightning in his wrists and the ball absolutely flies off his bat.
“He has excellent hand-eye coordination and adjusts well when pitchers try to come in on him, keeping his hands inside the ball and squaring up pitches many hitters would foul off. His swing can get long when pitchers work him away, but he still makes a lot more contact than most hitters do, courtesy of his bat speed and hand-eye. He recognizes breaking balls well for his age and projects to hit for power even to the opposite field.
“As a shortstop, he’s quick on his feet with good range in both ways, especially to the hole, but it is his arm that really stands out, grading at 65 or 70 on the 20-80 scale. The Cubs have pushed him up the ladder aggressively, because he can make contact and needed reps against better pitching, but it has obscured his power potential because he’s been so young for his leagues.
“He’s going to be an impact bat in the middle of the diamond and could arrive as early as late 2010.”
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