Luis Castillo of Seattle Mariners Showing Worrisome Trends, According to Pitching Expert

Nick Pollock, who founded "Pitcher List," sees some concerning trends with the M's pitcher, who has recently been involved in trade discussions.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at T-Mobile Park in 2024.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at T-Mobile Park in 2024. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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According to recent reports, the Seattle Mariners continue to be involved in at least lukewarm trade talks involving starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

The prevailing thought has been that if the M's trade Castillo, they can save money on his $70-ish million contract over the next three years, and that they can turn Castillo into some offensive assets, which they desperately need.

It's likely sound logic, as Castillo's contract is releatively affordable compared to how pitcher prices have exploded this offseason.

The 32-year-old Castillo is a very solid pitcher for the M's, and most fans don't want the team to have to part with him to accomplish other goals. He made 30 starts last season, going 11-12 with a 3.64 ERA. He also struck out 175 batters in 175.1 innings.

A three-time All-Star, he's been with the Mariners since they acquired him in 2022 from the Cincinnati Reds. Though Castillo remains solid, there are evidently some growing worries about him. His age is certainly part of it, but Nick Pollock, the founder of "Pitcher List" recently discussed further concerns involving Castillo's fastball velocity and lack of swing-and-misses in 2024.

To Pollock's point: According to Baseball Savant, Castillo's four-seamer averaged 95.6 MPH in 2024 vs. 96.3 in 2023. As a result, opponents whiffed on it 27.3 percent of the time in 2024 vs. 33.0 percent of the time in 2023. His whiff rate on his sinker also fell by more than three percent year-over-year.

If you found Pollock's content interesting, he'll be a guest on the first "Refuse to Lose" podcast of the New Year, set to come out later this week.

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