D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No.11 Adrian Del Castillo

The power-hitting catcher had a memorable 2024 MLB debut along with winning the Pacific Coast League MVP in 2024

Aug 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Adrian Del Castillo (25) reacts after hitting a walk off solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

This article is part of a series reviewing the seasons of the top 40 prospects still in the Arizona Diamondbacks system as of the end of 2024.

Adrian Del Castillo, LHB - Catcher, DOB: 09/27/1999, 5'10, 208

Acquired: Competitive Balance Round B Pick, No. 67 Overall in 2021 MLB Draft

Adrian Del Castillo was drafted 67th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Miami after he played on the same team as fellow D-backs player Slade Cecconi. Del Castillo was signed to a bonus of a million dollars and immediately became one of the team's top catching prospects, although he didn't fully break out until 2024.

In 2023, Del Castillo showed a lot of potential but in 2024, he showcased his ability to reach that potential starting in Triple-A with the Reno Aces. On Opening Day, he had three hits with a double and a homer, foreshadowing his upcoming season.

All he did in Reno was hit and hit for power. The ball exploded off his bat, even moreso than expected in the offensive friendly Pacific Coast League. Del Castillo was truly breaking out.

From Opening Day to August 4, Del Castillo served as a split-time catcher and then DH on the days he didn't catch. Over those 100 games, Del Castillo slashed .319/.403/.608/1.010 with 36 doubles, 24 homers, and 70 RBI.

The calls for Del Castillo to get promoted to the D-backs were reaching an apex as Jose Herrera struggled upon replacing Tucker Barnhart who was Designated for assignment.

Then, Gabriel Moreno got hurt and it became Del Castillo's time to shine. On August 7, he made his debut and hit an opposite field double off the wall to drive in a run.

In his next two games he racked up six hits, including a home run and four RBI. That included the memorable walk-off home run against the Phillies off of closer Jeff Hoffman.

On August 19, he hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as his bat was afire and seemed to be unstoppable.

Through August 28, over 14 games, the team went 12-2, as Del Castillo was one of the offensive leaders. He hit .354 with a 1.009 OPS. He had 14 RBI.

That was despite an eyebrow-raising 17 strikeouts that did spell some potential trouble for his bat.

That trouble came in the next seven games as he recorded just one hit over that span and saw his average fall all the way to .278. He struck out nine times to just one walk which continued the troubling strikeout rate.

However, he turned it around for his last four games in the big leagues with a .500 batting average and seven hits.

On September 16, Moreno was activated off the IL and Del Castillo was sent down Triple-A. In total, over 25 games, Del Castillo had a 0.5 WAR, slashed .313/.368/.525/.893, 146 OPS+. Four of his 25 hits went for homer and he drove in 19 runs.

He walked seven times but struck out 28 times. That led to a strikeout rate of 32.2%, which makes the impressive slash line unsustainable long-term in MLB.

His walk rate of eight percent was acceptable, but it appears that the high batting average might have been a case of luck. His BABIP, (Batting average on Balls in play) was an unsustainable .438. That's likely to regress to the mean going forward, meaning his batting average will take a hit.

Once Del Castillo returned to Reno, he continued his power display but struggled to hit for average. Over the season's final seven games, he hit just .192 despite four home runs. The strikeouts continued to be an issue, as he struck out eight more times.

In total with the Reno Aces, over 105 games, Del Castillo slashed .312/.399/.603/.1.002 with 129 hits, 36 doubles, three triples, 26 homers, and 75 RBI.

Del Castillo did have a solid 11.6% walk rate, and his strikeout rate was a terrific 16.9% in Triple-A. This gives some hope that he will be able to reverse the troubling trend of his penchant for strikeouts in MLB. Perhaps, he was just pressing at the plate a bit too much. Only time will tell.

It was all good enough to win the Pacific Coast League MVP award among many other honors, including Team MVP. He was also All-MiLB Prospect First Team, Player of the Month, and Triple-A All-Star in 2024 too.

2025 Outlook

The goal for Adrian Del Castillo in 2025 when he likely starts the year in Triple-A is to fix his strikeout rate and improve his defense. His goal in Spring Training needs to be an improvement on his ability to not strikeout against MLB-caliber pitching.

As for his defense, far too often did baserunners run wild in MLB when he was behind the plate. Despite a good pop time in the 1.9-2.0 seconds, he only caught two of 29 base stealers, for a lowly 6.9%. That must change in order for him to have a career in MLB behind the plate.

The team already has shifted him to a one-knee down catching stance in order to better his framing and help him there. Learning to call games will be another facet of defense that Del Castillo will have to improve.

Still, it's rare to find a catcher with this kind of offensive production or potential. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a solid player with a great future who could form a dynamic 1-2 punch behind the plate with Moreno eventually.

2025 will be a big season for Del Castillo and he should be the third catcher on the depth chart unless he has a big spring. Either way, he will likely be bouncing between Triple-A and Chase Field quite often with the chance to establish himself as a regular backup catcher.

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