PEORIA, Ariz. — Since arriving in the big leagues as a talented but unpolished pitching prospect for the Reds in 2017, Luis Castillo decided to set individual goals for himself that he felt would be difficult to achieve.
While some players keep their goals processed-based, such as getting better each day or improving a certain aspect that was lacking, and others are loathe to share their personal goals with others out of fear of failing to reach them or perhaps jinxing them, Castillo was matter-of-fact in his explanation.
- Be the opening-day starter
- Make the All-Star team
- Win the Cy Young Award
“That motivates me to get better every time I go out there,” he said through interpreter Freddy Llanos.
Perhaps in those earlier years when he was still trying to refine his command and harness his overpowering stuff, those goals might have seemed difficult to achieve. They are difficult to achieve for the average, or even good, MLB pitcher.
But Castillo has shown he’s among the elite.
Even now as a 30-year-old ace of the Mariners rotation, well, those goals may still seem lofty and difficult to him for the 2023 season. But to his teammates, the coaching staff, the organization’s front office and a fan base — all enchanted by his dominance after he was acquired at the trade deadline — those goals seem readily attainable.
He’s already slotted to be the opening-day starter against the Cleveland Guardians on March 30 at T-Mobile Park.
The All-Star Game? Well, he made the National League squad for a second time in his career as a member of a bad Reds team last season and was traded a few weeks later. With the Mariners’ strong defense behind him and pitching for a team with postseason expectations, he could up the sort of numbers that not only could earn him a spot on the American League All-Star team but also start the game, which will be played at T-Mobile Park.
As for the AL Cy Young Award, it’s not an impossibility. A season of 30 starts on a good team could yield his best career numbers. Las Vegas oddsmakers have him at 16-1 to win, eight pitchers before him.
“For one pitcher to come in and change the vibe or the way people viewed your team the way Luis did at the deadline was pretty remarkable,” said Jerry Dipoto, Mariners president of baseball operations. “I’m thrilled we have him. We’re really looking forward to him being with this group for a full season, and I think that’s part of the reason why we’re meaningfully better this year.”
His combination of power stuff and mound presence with an ability to overwhelm hitters hasn’t been seen in Seattle since Felix Hernandez was in his prime.
Castillo made his first start of spring training on Tuesday afternoon at Peoria Stadium. He pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
“You aren’t going to see 100 mph fastballs from him,” manager Scott Servais said before the game.
Unlike some younger pitchers who are trying to impress by going into full competition mode from the first pitch of spring, and others needing to produce results to earn a spot on the roster, Castillo approaches his spring as a process. It’s a similar buildup to Hernandez’s, with the intent to get his work in and steadily build through spring.
“Being my first game of the spring and the first time out there, it felt a little weird,” he said. “But once you get out there and get in the rhythm, it feels like being back home.”
The Mariners understand that Castillo has a way he builds up to the season. And they were fine with it as long as he didn’t pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Given the immediate nature of that tournament, he would’ve needed to throw much more in the offseason. Castillo and the team felt not participating was in his best interest given his normal buildup to the season.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m getting a normal spring training and I get to work on all the little details to get better mentally and physically, to hopefully get ready and have a good season.”
Castillo showcased his slider in the two innings, getting swings and misses and called strikes. It’s a pitch the Mariners have pushed him to throw more to complement his riding fastball that touches triple digits and nasty sinking changeup.
“What we saw last year is a lot of his strikeouts came from the fastball that was elevated from that slot, along with the slider, which is a really important pitch for him to get back into counts against left-handed hitters,” Servais said. “Those are things we talked about with him, ‘Let’s continue to do this. They’ll be focused on where you’re trying to target your slider, and where that needs to go in certain counts.’”
While he isn’t a big analytics believer and prefers to trust his catchers when it comes to pitch-calling, he hasn’t shrugged off the different teachings of Mariners coaches and analysts.
“It’s very good,” he said. “I liked the personnel that we have here. They’ve helped me on and off the field. I really liked the strategy that they use in their approach to help us.”
Not overly outgoing, preferring to observe and enjoy his teammates, Castillo has tried to increase his leadership workload. He has been serving as a mentor for young right-hander Prelander Berroa, who has similar power-pitching profile. Berroa is never far from Castillo in the clubhouse and on the field, always watching, listening and asking questions.
“If he can set up a goal for himself, like I’ve set up goals for myself every year, I feel like he can be a great pitcher for this organization,” Castillo said.
That’s pretty high praise coming from an already great pitcher in the organization.