No. 11: Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro
Allan Castro was an interesting name at the beginning of the season that very few people had marked as such. Castro wasted almost zero time making people pay attention, though.
The switch-hitting outfielder collected a hit in each of his first four games of the season in Single-A. Those games included two doubles, a home run (grand slam), and nine RBI.
He cooled down for a while after that, but hitting in Salem will do that to anyone. The good news is that he picked it back up as the year went on.
Castro finished the season slashing .261/.368/.405 with 31 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs between Single-A and High-A. He drove in 46 runs, scored 62 more, and stole 19 bases in 112 games (417 ABs).
Castro walked 68 times (13.8%) and struck out 90 times (18.3%).
The 20-year-old has showcased plenty of raw power. He'll gladly send a baseball two states over if the pitcher makes a mistake. However, he also showed fantastic discipline at the plate and made an impact even when he wasn't hitting the ball much.
Castro's a solid glove in the outfield. Maybe nothing spectacular, but he should be fine out there. It helps that he has a decent arm. Meanwhile, he has the speed to cover some ground and steal double-digit bases.
What makes Castro so intriguing is how raw he is. He was able to do so much this year, although he still has plenty of room to grow.
However, this also makes Castro hard to project. Will the bat keep getting better? He's already shown he has a solid command of the strike zone. That should give him a good base to grow on.
There's a world where Castro becomes an absolute superstar. In that world, he could be a decent outfielder with okay speed who can get on base at a high .300s clip with 30-plus home runs. That is the high-side projection for him, but with the rapid growth we saw in 2023, it doesn't feel as wild.
Hit: 65
Power: 65
Run: 45
Arm: 45
Field: 45
Overall: 55