Velo Location In Strike Zone Class Result
87 Low and Away Yes Fastball Flyball
76 Low and Away Yes Breaking Called Strike
76 Up and In No Breaking Ball
84 Low and In No Offspeed Flyball
87 Up and In No Fastball Flyball (Homer)
93 Low and Away Yes Fastball Called Strike
93 Middle Up Yes Fastball Foul
93 Up and Away No Fastball Ball
93 Low and Away Yes Fastball Called Strike
94 Middle In Yes Fastball Foul
98 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Called Strike
97 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
97 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
95 Middle In No Fastball Groundball
81 Low and In No Offspeed Whiff
95 Middle Up No Fastball Whiff
95 Middle Up No Fastball Ball
84 Low and In Yes Offspeed Foul
86 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff
95 Middle In No Fastball Ball
83 Middle Low No Offspeed Ball
95 Middle In No Fastball Foul
87 Middle Low No Breaking Whiff
86 Low and In No Offspeed Ball
86 Middle Middle Yes Breaking Foul
95 Low and In No Fastball Ball
83 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff
83 Low and Away No Breaking Ball
92 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
82 Low Middle No Breaking Ball
80 Low and Away Yes Offspeed Strike
90 Low Middle No Fastball Ball
81 Up and In Yes Breaking Groundball
81 Middle Middle Yes Offspeed Groundball
92 Middle In No Fastball Ball
93 Middle Up No Fastball Whiff
92 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Whiff
84 Middle Middle Yes Offspeed Flyball
92 Low and In Yes Fastball Foul
88 High and Away No Fastball Foul
92 Low and In No Fastball Ball
92 High and In No Fastball Whiff
89 Middle Up Yes Fastball Groundball
95 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Foul
96 High and In No Fastball Ball
97 Middle In No Fastball Ball
97 Middle Up No Fastball Flyball (Homer)
95 Middle In Yes Fastball Called Strike
96 Middle In No Fastball Ball
82 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff (check swing)
82 Low and Away No Breaking Ball
96 Low and Away No Fastball Whiff
87 Low and Away Yes Fastball Flyball
76 Low and Away Yes Breaking Called Strike
76 Up and In No Breaking Ball
84 Low and In No Offspeed Flyball
87 Up and In No Fastball Flyball (Homer)
93 Low and Away Yes Fastball Called Strike
93 Middle Up Yes Fastball Foul
93 Up and Away No Fastball Ball
93 Low and Away Yes Fastball Called Strike
94 Middle In Yes Fastball Foul
98 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Called Strike
97 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
97 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
95 Middle In No Fastball Groundball
81 Low and In No Offspeed Whiff
95 Middle Up No Fastball Whiff
95 Middle Up No Fastball Ball
84 Low and In Yes Offspeed Foul
86 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff
95 Middle In No Fastball Ball
83 Middle Low No Offspeed Ball
95 Middle In No Fastball Foul
87 Middle Low No Breaking Whiff
86 Low and In No Offspeed Ball
86 Middle Middle Yes Breaking Foul
95 Low and In No Fastball Ball
83 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff
83 Low and Away No Breaking Ball
92 Low and Away No Fastball Ball
82 Low Middle No Breaking Ball
80 Low and Away Yes Offspeed Strike
90 Low Middle No Fastball Ball
81 Up and In Yes Breaking Groundball
81 Middle Middle Yes Offspeed Groundball
92 Middle In No Fastball Ball
93 Middle Up No Fastball Whiff
92 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Whiff
84 Middle Middle Yes Offspeed Flyball
92 Low and In Yes Fastball Foul
88 High and Away No Fastball Foul
92 Low and In No Fastball Ball
92 High and In No Fastball Whiff
89 Middle Up Yes Fastball Groundball
95 Middle Middle Yes Fastball Foul
96 High and In No Fastball Ball
97 Middle In No Fastball Ball
97 Middle Up No Fastball Flyball (Homer)
95 Middle In Yes Fastball Called Strike
96 Middle In No Fastball Ball
82 Low and Away No Breaking Whiff (check swing)
82 Low and Away No Breaking Ball
96 Low and Away No Fastball Whiff
We also get some help from Minor League Central, who break down some plate discipline numbers pulled from MiLB's Gameday. So far this season, he is seeing just 3.56 pitches per plate appearance, well below the International League average of 3.84. He is seeing strikes over 2 percent more than average, showing that pitchers don't seem to be scared of his power, but he is at least making them throw strikes. His swing percentage is way above average and his contact percentage well below average. Trusting zone/outside zone swings is a little tricky because they are done by human stringers (just like me judging if a pitch was or wasn't in the strike zone), but according to that data, he is swinging at more pitches in the zone than average, and less out of the zone than average. His power numbers, both on percentage by contact and by fly-ball, are well below league average.
It should be noted of course, that Castellanos is the 2nd youngest hitter in the International League. He is even younger than Wil Myers and has a similar OPS. According to Baseball Reference, Castellanos has not yet faced a pitcher that is younger than him, so the very fact that he is holding his own so far probably means something. The problem is, I am not sure what it means. Throughout the minors, Castellanos' offensive value has mainly been through high averages driven by high BABIPs. He doesn't have great speed, and while he is large, he doesn't have good power, so it is unlikely he is just hitting the ball too hard for minor league fielders to field. To me, he doesn't have a diverse enough set of skills to be considered a great prospect. He doesn't field exceptionally well or have great positional value, he doesn't run hardly at all, and he doesn't walk or hit for power. If you think he is going to succeed as a Major League player, you have to believe that he is going to continue to hit for high averages with high BABIPs (or develop power with his size, which I think is actually more likely).
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