Fantasy baseball sleepers: Pitchers to target late
By David Hill
The Cincinnati Reds are looking for a pitcher to lead their staff into the next decade. Flamethrower Luis Castillo may be that pitcher.
Castillo is not a stranger to fantasy baseball players, especially those in deep keeper or dynasty leagues. His high octane fastball, coupled with solid command, made him a pitcher to watch in the Reds system. However, there were questions as to whether or not he would remain in the rotation, or end up being shipped to the bullpen.
After a period of acclimating to the majors, Castillo showed that he could become a fantasy mainstay. In his final eight outings of 2017, he posted a stellar 2.37 ERA and 0.872 WHiP, striking out 53 batters while issuing only 19 walks in those 49.1 innings. Opponents managed a meager .166/.246/.278 batting line in that time, with only four homers.
Obviously, Castillo will not perform like that over the course of a full season. However, those final eight starts should that he may have turned a corner in his development. Likewise, as a groundball pitcher, Castillo would be less likely to be effected by the launching pad known as Great American Ballpark.
This may be the last chance to get Luis Castillo as a late round pick in fantasy baseball. His ascension to stardom may have already begun.