Diego Castillo

Castillo made his big-league debut in 2022 and spent the majority of the season in Pittsburgh. At first glance, his 26.5 percent strikeout rate and .206 batting average suggest he was just another of the mediocre or worse options that the Pirates trotted out during the campaign. However, there's come intrigue with a deeper dive. As a prospect, Castillo was known for his hit tool and rarely struck out at clips higher than 15 percent while working his way through the minors. That number spiked in his first taste of the majors, but so did his potential to hit for power thanks to a 9.9 percent barrel rate and 109.6 mph max exit velocity. Assuming he can bring his strikeout rate back down to levels he showed while climbing through the Yankees' minor-league system, there's the potential of a player who can hit for both a solid average and solid power. Castillo was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh in December and subsequently traded to Arizona, where he could open 2023 in a utility role. Read Past Outlooks