More Like Ubiquity Player: Ex-Utilityman Willi Castro is Suddenly Everywhere

[Greggory Masterson]

Not even two plunkings Sunday can force Willi Castro out of the lineup. He leads off again Monday night, and has played in every Twins game of the season so far. He’s gone from an afterthought to leading the team in plate appearances in a year and a half. Huh?

Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Willi Castro has managed to become a legitimate super-utility player, playing in each of the team’s first 66 games at six different positions—something almost unheard of under manager Rocco Baldelli. And he’s doing a great job at it.

Castro’s emergence as a bench weapon in 2023 is pretty well-documented. He started the year as the 13th man on a bench already facing injury trouble, which necessitated his addition. He had initially signed a minor league contract after being non-tendered by the Tigers as a 24-year-old. He had some experience at second base, shortstop, third base, and left field at that point, and he was quick. He was a sensible emergency fill-in at multiple spots and could steal a bag when needed. That’s a fine 13th man.

Over the season, he took on a super-utility role, in a sense, and enabled all of Rocco Baldelli’s shenanigans. His utility was primarily his ability to balance out the roster on a game-to-game basis. Approximately a quarter of his appearances were off the bench as a pinch runner, pinch hitter, or defensive replacement. Even in games he started, he often switched positions--more than 40 times during the year. Because of his flexibility, Baldelli could make nearly any substitution he wanted.

This season, though, it’s been a different story. Through Sunday, Castro had started 61 of the team’s 65 games, and he played at some point in all of them. He’s still been flexible in-game, moving positions 17 times in those 65 games, but he’s been a consistent starter—and at several different positions. That’s new.

Following injuries to Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton, Castro has taken over as the primary option at third base (10 starts), shortstop (17 starts), and center field (16 starts), respectively. After Edouard Julien’s demotion, he will likely continue to be the everyday guy at second base (four starts thus far). He’s also started in left field 14 times, primarily in Baldelli Special™ platoon lineups.

Although he was a prominent utility player in 2023, he’s developed into the Platonic ideal of a super-utility guy this year—playing all but first base, catcher, and right field (even pitching in garbage time). He’s an everyday player with positional flexibility. It’s a treat for a manager to know that there’s someone competent who can be turned to in any situation.

Castro has mostly held up his end of the bargain. He hasn’t been as good on the basepaths as in 2023, but he’s been fine defensively in every spot (though he’s a bit stretched in center and at short), and he’s hit about 15 percent above league average. That’s a legitimate MLB starter, and he can be plugged in wherever needed. This degree of versatility is very, very rare. 

If Castro plays even three more games in left field, he'll become just the fourth player ever to play at least 20 times at left, center, shortstop, and third base. The other three are a fun collection, including one very familiar name.

Query Results Table

Player	Season	Age	Team	G	PA	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
José Hernández	1998	28	CHC	149	533	76	124	23	75	4	6	40	140	.254	.311	.471	.782	100
César Tovar	1968	27	MIN	157	673	89	167	6	47	35	13	34	41	.272	.326	.372	.698	107
Tony Kubek	1957	21	NYY	127	475	56	128	3	39	6	6	24	48	.297	.335	.381	.716	97

Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 6/10/2024.

If Julien stays in the minors long enough for Castro to make 14 more appearances at second (he's made six, in total, so far), he'd be the first person ever, in any major league, to show up 20 times at those five positions in a single campaign.

This more prominent role probably hamstrings Baldelli a bit, as he is no longer able to, for instance, deploy Castro strategically as a pinch-runner, where he was 33-for-38 in stolen-base attempts last year. Baldelli would also likely prefer to have his everyday players healthy and playing every day at their natural positions, giving Castro a bit more rest (at least one day off a month might be nice), using him as a bench weapon more often, and allowing Castro to be used to give players a breather rather than filling a void.

Castro’s prevalence is also an indictment on the other reserves employed by the Twins. Manuel Margot and Kyle Farmer were recently everyday players at center field and shortstop, respectively. Many had assumed that Margot would be the top reserve outfielder, and Farmer would be the top reserve infielder. Instead, both have been reduced almost entirely to platoon bats against left-handed pitchers, and both have moved down the defensive spectrum, as Margot is primarily a corner outfielder and Farmer is primarily a second baseman.

If Margot and Farmer played better this year, there would not nearly be as much time for Castro. Instead, Castro has received the lion’s share of injury fill-in time, and he’s also received most of the bench plate appearances against right-handed starters (in addition to typically starting in left field versus lefties).

He’s made the most of his everyday time, with the team's fifth-highest OPS+ (114). Baldelli has asked him to do more and more this season, and he’s answered the bell. Hopefully, by the end of the year, the lineup will be a bit more solidified and healthy, and he’ll be able to be deployed strategically more often. But for right now, he’s become a real 10th man; an everyday starter with positional flexibility; an asset.

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[Eris]

“If Margot and Farmer played better this year”.
 

And Wallner, Buxton, Julien and Kirilloff. 

[The Mad King]

The moral of the story - teach your kid to hit from both sides of the plate...

[Riverbrian]

Castro is the definition of Super Utility. Plays every day and plays multiple positions. 

What I'm about to say about Willi will not be fair to Willi. 

Before I say what I'm about to say... I want to be clear that I think Willi has done a great job for us and I don't want what I say to be perceived as a slam against Willi Castro. 

Here goes:

Willi Castro against Right Handers in 2024: 

BA - .218

OPS - .690

He leads the team in PA's against Right Handers. He leads the team in PA's period. 

The Twins are offensively healthy right now and Willi Castro can't be taken out of the lineup.

Kudo's to Castro for rising to an every day job but let's be clear.

Your team has to lack top end talent in order for Willi Castro with a .690 OPS against RH to be played like top end talent.

Castro is an example of what you can accomplish if you never give up. He is also an example of a serious lack of top end talent in the Twins locker room. 

 

 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Before I say what I'm about to say... I want to be clear that I think Willi has done a great job for us and I don't want what I say to be perceived as a slam against Willi Castro. 

Here goes:

Willi Castro against Right Handers in 2024: 

BA - .218

OPS - .690

He leads the team in PA's against Right Handers. He leads the team in PA's period. 

The Twins are offensively healthy right now and Willi Castro can't be taken out of the lineup.

Kudo's to Castro for rising to an every day job but let's be clear.

Your team has to lack top end talent in order for Willi Castro with a .690 OPS against RH to be played like top end talent.

A .690 OPS is basically league average. A team can always handle a league average bat if it comes with premium defense.

[Jeff K]

To me, the last Twins super utility guy was Nick Punto.  Castro and Punto are different in many ways; however, both players greatly exceeded expectations.  I'm greatly appreciative of both players past/present.

[Riverbrian]

33 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

A .690 OPS is basically league average. A team can always handle a league average bat if it comes with premium defense.

That's why it's not intended as a slam.

But... to put it in proper perspective. League Average is leading your team in PA's against right handers? 

Here are the top 5 leaders in PA's vs Right Handers this year for our Twins. 

Castro - .690

Santana - .630

Kirilloff -  .680

Julien - .637

Jeffers - .840

I know injuries played a big part in this leaderboard but we are healthy right now and Castro can't be taken out of the lineup.

This is more a negative statement on our roster construction then a negative statement on Castro. 

Jeffers who ranks 5th and has actually produced well above average numbers against Right Handers this year has been reduced to a 50-50 split with a guy producing a .503 OPS against right handers yet Castro can't come out of the lineup. 

I love what Castro has done... Solid member of the 13 position players on the roster this season... I'm really glad he is a Twin... However... with everyone healthy right now... we still can't afford to take Castro out of the lineup? 

Castro getting Aaron Judge like playing time is a roster issue. 

 

[DJL44]

6 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

That's why it's not intended as a slam.

But... to put it in proper perspective. League Average is leading your team in PA's against right handers? 

Here are the top 5 leaders in PA's vs Right Handers this year for our Twins. 

Castro - .690

Santana - .630

Kirilloff -  .680

Julien - .637

Jeffers - .840

I know injuries played a big part in this leaderboard but we are healthy right now and Castro can't be taken out of the lineup.

This is more a negative statement on our roster construction then a negative statement on Castro. 

It's a huge negative against Kirilloff. His job is to crush RHP and he's not doing it. Castro makes the lineup because he can play defense almost anywhere. Kirilloff and Santana are in the lineup to hit and they can't hit better than the utility infielder. That's a problem.

[Riverbrian]

6 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

It's a huge negative against Kirilloff. His job is to crush RHP and he's not doing it. Castro makes the lineup because he can play defense almost anywhere. Kirilloff and Santana are in the lineup to hit and they can't hit better than the utility infielder. That's a problem.

It is... Add Julien and Kepler to your list of Kirilloff and Santana. 

This is what happens when you are using 6 roster spots to strip mine via the platoon. 

The problem has always been with the 5 players who will have to face both right handers and left handers. Our every day guys... the top of the pile guys. We started the season with Lewis, Correa, Buxton, Kepler and Santana in those 5 roles. We started weak with Santana in one of the 5 spots to go along with two injury prone players in Lewis and Buxton.    

The injuries we have suffered this year have come from exclusively from those 5 every day player spots. Losing Lewis as quickly and for as long as we lost him hurt a lot. Correa, Buxton and Kepler have also had injured list time. Even with the struggles of the young left handed platoon guys. They were never candidates to replace the top 5 for full time duty... even if they were crushing left handers like they did last year... which of course they are not. They can't just start playing the left handers every day to replace the injuried big guys with Margot and Farmer needed to get into the lineup against left Handers.   

Castro is playing every day because we don't have a better candidate to play every day. Even when healthy like they are now... the roster doesn't have an answer to play every day other than Castro with Santana and Kepler knocked down to platoon duty.  

We are doing OK... If the season ended today we get the last playoff spot but Rocco has to strip mine every little bit of juice out of 13 position players in order to keep them hanging on.

We need a top of the pile hitter to add to Lewis, Correa and Buxton (We need Buxton to be better as well).  Castro in one of those roles is a problem even if Castro hasn't been the problem.   

[DJL44]

18 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

This is what happens when you are using 6 roster spots to strip mine via the platoon. 

It's especially bad when the LH hitting part of the platoon (Kirilloff, Julien) has a bad year. You can't put together two below average hitters (Kiriloff & Margot or Julien & Farmer) to make an above average hitter.

[Riverbrian]

5 hours ago, DJL44 said:

It's especially bad when the LH hitting part of the platoon (Kirilloff, Julien) has a bad year. You can't put together two below average hitters (Kiriloff & Margot or Julien & Farmer) to make an above average hitter.

Yep... it takes two roster spots to handle one spot. 

Which is one less spot for someone to be a complete player who takes up one spot.  

And they are going to have to do it again next year with a fresh crop of Margot types to try again. There is no indication that they will stop trying.  

[Schmoeman5]

3 hours ago, DJL44 said:

A .690 OPS is basically league average. A team can always handle a league average bat if it comes with premium defense.

Which he doesn't provide

[Schmoeman5]

The fact that a utility player has appeared in every game speaks volumes. If the Twins need to give Lewis time to ease his way back, that's fine. Or giving Buxton occasional relief in cf.  Otherwise barring injuries keep him at 2nd. He's serviceable at multi positions. My eyes say he's best at 2nd or LF. 

[Schmoeman5]

On 6/11/2024 at 10:20 AM, DJL44 said:

It's especially bad when the LH hitting part of the platoon (Kirilloff, Julien) has a bad year. You can't put together two below average hitters (Kiriloff & Margot or Julien & Farmer) to make an above average hitter.

Now that was premium defense.