The Luis Castillo we saw pitch for the Cincinnati Reds tonight is the Luis Castillo I think we, the front office, and everyone in baseball thought they’d see on the regular during the 2021 season.
In a series where the Reds must make strides, Castillo shut down the St. Louis Cardinals in his 6.0 IP, limiting them to just 3 H and a lone ER, fanning 5 and allowing just a lone walk in his 95 pitch outing. It’s precisely what we’ve been hoping for, and while I’m usually loathe to point to catcher ERA as a ‘thing,’ it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to notice how much better he has pitched with Curt Casali and Tyler Stephenson behind the plate since the start of the 2020 season.