Imagine, as a Manager, your star player goes down injured, and you aren’t sure when they will return. This can be an unnerving thought as you try to keep the team competitive during a long season.
This can even be made worse when you’re the manager of the Minnesota Twins, and the training staff can be extra cautious.
However, luckily for Rocco Baldelli and the Twins, they have had an ace up their sleeve all season long with Willi Castro. Castro has been the best utility player in MLB this year and recently made MLB history.
Willi Castro is quietly making history with the Twins this season
On June 29, Castro made his 20th appearance at second base. This made him the third player in history to appear at five different positions at least 20 times in a season, officially giving him super-utility player status along with Zach McKinstry and Tony Phillips.
Willi Castro is about to make some baseball history. With the start at 2nd, he becomes just the 3rd player ever to have 20+ appearances at 5 different positions. https://t.co/uxSOtLKDV4
— Audra Martin (@Audra_Martin) June 29, 2024
Castro has played 20-plus times at shortstop, third base, left field, center field, and second base. However, unlike the more recent McKinstry, Castro has been more than just a fill-in at these positions, in fact, he’s been one of the best players in baseball.
Playing at an All-Star level
Castro was initially brought in last season as a potential utility player who would help keep the season afloat when numerous star players went out injured. However, few could have imagined Castro turning into one of the stars himself while still being an invaluable utility player.
In 2024, Castro is on pace to have his best season yet in almost every statistical category. He slashes .273/.356/.448 with an impressive 21 doubles, five triples, and seven home runs.
In addition to his career-high pace, he has been one of the best players in the American League with a top-10 WAR among position players with 2.9, right behind fellow teammate and superstar Carlos Correa. The 27-year-old, this season, looks like a steal.
At this point, Castro has been invaluable to the Twins and given his historic versatility he is arguably the Twins MVP.
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