Scouting Report - Mack Pick 1.4 - C - Adrian del Castillo

 

Adrian del Castillo

 

C     5-11      208      Miami 

Mack's spin - 

Del Castillo does give Jud Fabian a run for the money on the top college bat.

He easily is the top catcher in this draft which makes me rank him this high. Great catchers are hard to find and, when you do, you pick them earlier than other position players.

His limited skills behind the plate could cause a position change down the road, but I expect him to improve defensively as his career blossoms. 

 2-3-21 - ACC Baseball Review -

 

Player of the Year: Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

 

Del Castillo currently ranks as the top college hitter in the country for the 2021 draft. His acute feel for putting the barrel on the baseball makes him arguably the best pure hitter in the country. He’s hit .336/.430/.571 over his first two seasons with the Hurricanes, with 14 home runs and 24 doubles to go along with more walks (43) than strikeouts (32). There are very few questions about Del Castillo’s bat entering the season and he spent time working with Royals catcher Salvador Perez last summer to hone his defensive game. Del Castillo should be the best hitter in one of the country’s best lineups—that’s enough for preseason Player of the Year honors in the ACC.

 

 1-26-21 - BA -

 

3. Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

 

Areas To Improve: Prove catcher defense, arm strength

 

Del Castillo has a strong case as the best pure hitter in the class and brings solid power and exceptional zone control along with it. So his to-do list is almost entirely centered around the defensive side of the ball. His biggest skeptics wonder if he can catch long term, so Del Castillo will need to show his work from last summer (with Royals catcher Salvador Perez) translates to games this spring. That includes receiving, blocking and showing better arm strength.

 

 1-20-21 - D1 Baseball's top 100 College Prospects -

 

6 Adrian Del Castillo C H Miami ACC

 

 

1-20-21 - prospect live -

 

# 10 - New York Mets

Adrian Del Castillo

C/1B/LF, Miami

 

Del Castillo may be the best college bat in this draft class. The Mets would be giddy to pounce and add his polish and close-to-immediate contributions to their system. He's a bat-first catcher with strong recognition of the zone and a smooth, lofty swing. During the off-season, Del Castillo worked with Royals catcher Salvador Perez on his defense, developing better receiving and strike-stealing skills. If he shows he could stick behind the plate at the next level, there's a good chance he buoys even further up our draft board. The Mets are primed to compete for NL East titles immediately moving forward, and it wouldn't surprise us to see Del Castillo in their lineup during the latter-half of 2022.

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Adrian Del Castillo

Miami C

 

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: White Sox 2018 (36)

Age At Draft: 21.8

 

Del Castillo was known as an offensive-first catcher coming out of high school in the 2018 draft class—where he ranked No. 196 on the BA 500—and has only cemented himself as one of the best hitters in the country after two years at Miami. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has hit .336/.430/.571 over the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Hurricanes, with 14 home runs, 24 doubles and more walks (43) than strikeouts (32). His numbers weren’t quite as gaudy in the Cape Cod League in 2019, where he struck out 32 times to nine walks, but scouts still believe his feel for the barrel with a wood bat is among the best in the country. While Del Castillo’s defensive reputation is mixed at best, he put significant work in on that end this summer, spending time with Royals catcher Salvador Perez to improve his craft. Del Castillo has an accurate throwing arm, but he has tried to improve his arm strength and his overall skill in terms of receiving and blocking. His bat is good enough to play at a number of positions, but if teams believe he is a long-term catcher, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be one of the first bats taken next year.

 

1-5-21 - PG - College Pre Season All Americans -

 

Catcher - Adrian Del Castillo, Miami

 

The top catching prospect in the draft, Del Castillo drew rave reviews for his hit tool coming out of high school and he’s done nothing but rake during his time in Coral Gables. He hit .317 as a true freshman and was well on his way to replicating that performance before the shutdown. There’s a legitimate chance that Del Castillo is the best pure hitter in the college ranks today, but he’ll have to answer some questions about his defensive ability and look to tap into a bit more power in 2021. He’s got terrific strike zone discipline and walks more than he strikes out, while he should be one of the more feared hitters in the ACC heading into the season.

 

12-26-20  -  Baseball Prospect Journal Mock Draft 1.0 -

 

7. Kansas City Royals: Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

 

Del Castillo is an offensive-minded catcher who has dominated college pitching the last two years. Scouts are split on his defensive skills behind the plate, though. He needs to show improvement defensively this spring. He spent time working with Royals catcher Salvador Perez last summer to refine his defensive skills.

 

12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3

 

Boston Red Sox

 

The Red Sox picked a good year to have a bottom tier farm system this year and an even better time to bottom out, as even with the fourth selection they still have the chance to grab a tier 1 impact bat or arm. Adrian Del Castillo has done nothing but produce since he stepped on Miami’s campus, and his bat guarantees a first round selection, if not a top 10 or a top 5. Del Castillo didn’t play summer ball, instead using the opportunity to train with Jorge Soler and Salvador Perez. Del Castillo has an arm, but his receiving skills do need work, calling his pro position into question, but at the worst, he can be yet another bat first catcher that the U produces.

 

 

12-23-20 - MLB - College prospects that wre High School prospects -

 

Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

 

2021: No. 4| 2018: No. 194

 

Then: "He recognizes pitches well, with a solid game plan, and he should be able to hit for average. Because he doesn't expand the zone, he drives good hitters' pitches and has plenty of raw power to tap into. His work behind the plate remains behind what he can do in the batter's box."

 

Now: A 36th-round pick by the White Sox three Drafts ago, Del Castillo stayed home to go to college at Miami. His 2018 scouting report remains spot on, as he offers the best combination of power and patience in this year's crop but has yet to answer questions about his ability to remain behind the plate. With his bat, he can still make an impact even if he doesn't.

 

12-23-20 - MLB - College prospects that wre High School prospects -

 

Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami

 

2021: No. 4| 2018: No. 194

 

Then: "He recognizes pitches well, with a solid game plan, and he should be able to hit for average. Because he doesn't expand the zone, he drives good hitters' pitches and has plenty of raw power to tap into. His work behind the plate remains behind what he can do in the batter's box."

 

Now: A 36th-round pick by the White Sox three Drafts ago, Del Castillo stayed home to go to college at Miami. His 2018 scouting report remains spot on, as he offers the best combination of power and patience in this year's crop but has yet to answer questions about his ability to remain behind the plate. With his bat, he can still make an impact even if he doesn't.

 

12-18-20 - Future Sox Mock Draft -

 

7. Kansas City Royals: Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami (FL)

 

The Royals have used first rounders on college pitchers and prep bats in recent years, but Del Castillo’s stick is too good to fall any further than this. The Miami backstop has a great left-handed swing and an advanced approach at the dish. He hit 14 homers in 350 plate appearances for the Hurricanes and continue to display in game power on the cape. There are some defensive concerns, but his bat will play elsewhere.

 

12-18-20 -

 

college baseball info - top player from each school -

 

24. Miami

 

Adrian Del Castillo, C/OF (2021): Next to Leiter, Del Castillo, by virtue of his polished bat, is probably closest of all 2021 college draftees to the bigs, but he’ll probably have to change positions first.12-18-20 -

 

12-15-20 - Jim Callis's Top 10  -

 

3. Tigers: Adrian del Castillo, C, Miami

 

Del Castillo offers the best combination of power and patience in the 2021 Draft class, with more extra-base hits (39) and walks (43) than strikeouts (32) in 77 games during his first two seasons at Miami. He'll be an impact bat even if he can't stay behind the plate, which is a question.

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