Projected first-rounder, Del Castillo among the greatest UM hitters ever
Adrian Del Castillo of the University of Miami swatted a three-run homer on Tuesday and also became a candidate for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award
By Joe Frisaro @ManOn2nd
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – If there was any doubt before, you can put them to rest. Adrian Del Castillo’s name definitely deserves to be mentioned with the top offensive performers in University of Miami’s storied baseball history.
That is saying something, considering the caliber of players UM has produced.
In Miami’s 11-2 victory over Florida Atlantic University, Del Castillo’s three-run home run was the knockout blow in a seven-run fourth inning on Tuesday.
“It was awesome,” the standout catcher said postgame. “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten our bats hot like that as a team, and it’s always fun. It makes the game a lot [more fun] and a lot faster, too.”
ManOn2nd was at the game, and Del Castillo stole the show. Used as the designated hitter, he had a single to right field in the first inning, and then made his statement with his second homer of the season.
With about a dozen scouts on hand at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, Del Castillo continues to help his Draft stock.
From an evaluation standpoint, this is what caught the attention of MO2 (Man On Second).
A left-handed hitter with power potential, Del Castillo is extremely comfortable at the plate. He’s got a smooth, quick swing. There’ s no unnecessary movement. He tracks pitches well, and isn’t bothered by being behind in the count.
His home run was off a left-hander, and it was pulled to right. He worked the count to 3-1, and got a pitch up, and didn’t miss it.
You can see why Del Castillo projects near the top of the first round in the 2021 MLB Draft. He could be a 15-20 home run-caliber big leaguer, with the ability to hit for average and get on base.
Defensively, there’s still some questions. At the plate, there are plenty of signs that he’s going to hit.
If there is a universal DH in the upcoming years, Del Castillo would be attractive to all 30 MLB clubs.
Also this week, Del Castillo was picked as one of 69 catchers named to the official watch list for the 2021 National Collegiate Catchers of the Year Award.
“Adrian is one of the better pure hitters we have ever had at Miami,” University of Miami head coach Gino DiMare said. “He has the ability to hit the ball to all fields with power and is an RBI machine. He also possesses a great feel for the strike zone and for a power guy is a difficult guy to strikeout. His defense has continued to improve in all phases and commands respect from all his teammates. He is a very coachable player and one of our leaders on our ballclub.”