Cuban Star Rusney Castillo Looks Like Major Piece of Boston Red Sox's Future

It’s quickly becoming clear why the Boston Red Sox shelled out big bucks last month to sign Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo.

Castillo connected for his first major league home run in the third inning of Thursday’s 11-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, blasting a three-run shot into the seats above the Green Monster in left-center field.

He has continued to showcase his immense potential in the first two games of the weekend series against the rival New York Yankees, going 5-for-6 with a home run and two RBI through Saturday. 

The Red Sox made Castillo the highest-paid Cuban player in baseball history last month, signing the 27-year-old outfielder to a seven-year, $72.5 million contract through the 2020 season.

Though Castillo hadn’t played organized baseball in over a year at the time of his signing, the Red Sox still viewed him as a candidate for a September call-up, provided he meets expectations over a few weeks in the minor leagues.

After a quick, two-game warm-up in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, Castillo was moved up to Triple-A Pawtucket for the start of International League playoffs.

Castillo’s transition to the minor league’s highest level was surprisingly smooth, as he batted .306 with one home run and four doubles while hitting safely in eight of nine games.

His strong showing at Pawtucket proved he was ready for an audition in the major leagues, and so the Red Sox officially called him up on Sept. 17 for the final two weeks of the regular season.

According to general manager Ben Cherington, the team’s primary goal in promoting Castillo was to get him regular at-bats after the conclusion of the minor league season, via Ian Browne of MLB.com:

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This is just the continuation of an effort to get him exposed and get him comfortable in the environment and just log at-bats. He's missed a lot of time after the defection. We just want to make up for that, log as many at-bats as we can, and that will probably continue into the fall and the winter.

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However, Castillo hasn’t looked like a player working his way back from a lengthy absence.

The 5’8”, 186-pound outfielder began his career by hitting safely in four consecutive games but went just 4-for-16 during that span. Considering he was being asked to make on-the-fly adjustments at baseball’s highest level, the fact that Castillo at least held his own out of the gate was in and of itself impressive.

Furthermore, the 27-year-old has looked increasingly comfortable and confident at the plate in his last two contests, demonstrating a better feel for the strike zone as well as a more selective overall approach.

Castillo went 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Wednesday against the Rays, but he also collected the first two walks of his career to go along with his first RBI and run scored.

Though his performance didn’t stand out on paper, Ricky Doyle of NESN.com was still impressed with what he saw from Castillo in the game:

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Castillo drew the first two walks of his major league career. His first walk was a 10-pitch battle against Brandon Gomes in which he fouled off six offerings. His second walk was a five-pitch free pass from Kirby Yates that plated a run, resulting in Castillo’s first career RBI.

Castillo also displayed his above-average speed and impressive instincts in the sixth inning by scoring from second base on a passed ball. Steve Geltz’s 3-2 pitch to Betts—ball four—got away from catcher Jose Molina, and Castillo, who was off with the pitch, aggressively raced around third and darted home.

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And then there was Castillo’s big game on Thursday, which, years from now, likely will be remembered as his coming-out party.

In addition to showcasing his power for the first time as a big leaguer with a towering home run and a ringing double, Castillo made a running, over-the-shoulder catch in center field—one of several eye-opening plays he’s made since joining the Red Sox.

While the rookie has impressed during his brief time in the major leagues, the fact that he signed a record-breaking deal with a major-market club means he’ll face unreasonably high expectations moving forward. After all, he did receive a larger contract than fellow Cubans Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes.

Opinions of a player’s long-term potential based on an eight- to 10-game sample size can be very misleading, so it’s hard to say with confidence what the Red Sox might have in Castillo.

One thing is certain, however: His combination of athleticism and loud tools at an up-the-middle position could make him an impact player in the major leagues for years to come.