The Cincinnati Reds will only have one All-Star this year and it will be starting pitcher Luis Castillo. Through 17 starts on the season, the 26-year-old right-handed pitcher has posted a 2.47 ERA in 98.1 innings. He’s allowed just 61 hits, and his 5.6 hits allowed per 9-innings pitched is the best in the league. He’s walked a league high 52 batters, though he has countered that some with 115 strikeouts.
For Luis Castillo, this is his first All-Star selection in just his second full season. He’s the first Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher to make the game since the Reds landed two of them back in 2014. Johnny Cueto made the team that year. And so did Alfredo Simon. Somehow.
Here’s video of Luis Castillo after the game today talking about his selection, as well as manager David Bell on Castillo this season:
While it feels fair to say that Luis Castillo deserved to make the team, it also feels fair to wonder how Amir Garrett didn’t. While you could probably argue for another guy or two on the team to perhaps have an argument, it’s an easy one to make with Garrett. The left-handed reliever has a 1.75 ERA in 36.0 innings with season with 51 strikeouts. He’s allowed just 25 hits, 3 home runs, and he’s walked 20 batters in 41 games. If that’s not enough to get you an All-Star nod, it’s tough to know what is.
So, to be clear, the only way that a reliever should be an all-star is if his manager uses him as a closer? Because both of you are talking about saves as if that’s somehow indicative of a players performance rather than a managerial decision.
I think any manager of an all star team would choose and fill the bullpen with the best closers in the league. Just like they wouldn’t choose the best pinch hitters in the league to bring off the bench in pinch hitting situations. Instead they would pick the best hitters. The all star game isn’t a typical baseball game.
Middle relievers on last place teams don’t make the ASG. Reds need to play better if they want more representation.
They need to have better players. The Reds are mired in mediocrity or sub-mediocrity at most positions on the field.
Plus, the big drawing teams will have more fans voting. Reds fans have become alienated from the team because of the losing.
This likely won’t be a popular opinion, but in 2019 I think Amir Garrett has been better at relief pitching relative to the league than Castillo has at starting pitching. If Garrett had been the Reds lone representative instead of Castillo I would not have been the tiniest bit upset. Congrats to Castillo but I’m genuinely disappointed that Garrett didn’t get that call, in addition to or even in lace of Castillo.
*in place of
Congratulations to Castillo. It’s an exhibition with the winning league getting the opening game of the WS. Other than that it’s some time off for most players. The Reds have the best record of any of the six last place teams, so I think they’re going to make a move in the second half with their good pitching leading the way.
No, MLB cancelled the home-field advantage element of the ASG. It is purely an exhibition.
The All-Star selection of Castillo is a preview of the players wanted by other teams, yep you guessed it, 1.
Steve M has devoted his recent posting about the front office being smart. While I agree it would be prudent to be smart, the past cannot be changed. Getting smart today or by the end of the month for this front office is a bit to expect. The current roster of AAA refugees and other teams’ mistakes (do the players collected efforts demonstrate any difference) offers little or nothing in the way of improving other teams 25-man roster. To the “Yeah, but the numbers show they are better than they are” crowd, collectively wins and losses decide a team’s, a manager, and those players fate and future, nothing more and nothing less
More saves than Hoffman?
It was gonna take a lot for Amir to make the All Star team especially due to the fact he is a reliever and his value is more during a season rather then a one game All Star Game.Don’t get me wrong I would have love to see My Son on the team especially with the path he took to get to this point but , what really bothers me is his name is mentioned everywhere in Cincy and around the MLB and you can’t spell our last name right…Spell check or proof read!!! I’m sure you can understand that Mr Neighbors