Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Luis Castillo had a successful first season in Seattle, which was to be expected when he got out of Great American Ball Park. Castillo struck out 219 batters in 197 innings and started 33 games for the Mariners, striking out 10.01 K/9 and a 27.3 K%. One negative on his report card was his xERA of 3.82 and xFIP of 3.81, suggesting his 3.34 ERA may have been a bit lucky. Also of note was his 1.28 HR/9, which was the highest it had been since 2018. There is a lot to like about Castillo, but he is one of the more volatile pitchers in Tier 2.

George Kirby has a lot of stats to love, but the one that jumps off the page is that he walked 19 batters in 190 2/3 innings. He struck out 172 batters and carried a 3.35 ERA with 1.04 WHIP. Both his xERA and xFIP were higher than his actual numbers, but he started 31 games, and there is nothing overtly alarming in his underlying metrics. Kirby will cost you a fourth or fifth-round pick in 2024, but there is no better anchor for your ratios.

Logan Gilbert pitched 190 2/3 innings, struck out 189 batters, and ended with a 3.73 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The 26-year-old offered an elite BB% of 4.7, and his xERA and xFIP are in line with his actual numbers. Gilbert has started 32 games in each of the last two years, so the durability is there. He has an average K% and Whiff%, which keeps him out of an elite SP tier, but he is a solid SP3 with SP2 upside for those who want to take that risk.