Jason Castro has only played sparingly in 2021. When the Astros’ 2008 first-round pick returned to Houston on a two-year deal in January, the expectation was for Martín Maldonado to remain the primary catcher. More than 90 games into the season, however, the split in playing time has been noticeably lopsided. This wouldn’t be an issue if Castro hadn’t produced when called upon, but he has.
In 23 starts — 104 plate appearances — the Stanford product has a terrific .382 OBP and has maintained his excellent double-digit barrel rate of the prior two seasons.