I mention this every time I write about Ryan Castellani because it’s easy to forget: he’s younger than you think. Castellani is still just 21 years old (turning 22 in April) and is just four months older than Brendan Rodgers, even though he’s been in the system since 2014. Despite being among the youngest players in every league he’s played in, the 6’4”, 220 right-hander has four successful years as a professional. That’s a great track record for Castellani, who signed out of an Arizona high school for $1.1 million as a 2nd round pick.
Castellani hadn’t been allowed five innings or 90 pitches per start before 2016, and pitched well when the shackles were loosed that year.