This New York Yankees pitcher has been tabbed as a player to watch in Spring Training.
The New York Yankees played their first Spring Training game on Friday, falling to the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 2-0.
Of course, the final score really doesn't mean anything. It's more about who played well and who didn't, and for the Yankees, it was nice to see top pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez put forth an impressive effort in three innings.
But are there any under-the-radar names worth monitoring as New York proceeds with its exhibition contests?
Brendan Kuty of The Athletic spoke to a Yankees official this week, and he identified one player: relief pitcher Kervin Castro.
"He’s a little funky," the official said. "Gets it done."
That's certainly an interesting way to describe someone, but for a pitcher, that's actually a compliment.
Castro is definitely intriguing.
The 27-year-old made his big-league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2021, tossing 13.1 scoreless frames out of the bullpen. He then spent time with both the Giants and Chicago Cubs in 2022 and hasn't pitched in a big-league game since.
Kervin Castro. Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images.However, Castro spent 2025 in New York's minor-league system, and to say that he was impressive would be an understatement.
The right-hander logged a 2.35 ERA across 35 relief appearances, allowing just 27 hits while racking up 52 strikeouts over 47 innings of work. Control was a bit of an issue, as he walked 22 batters, but for the most part, he was terrific.
Castro underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, which caused him to miss the entire 2024 campaign, but he certainly rebounded nicely last season.
The Venezuelan native doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he features a curveball and a cutter to go along with his four-seam fastball, and the breaking stuff seems to work for him.
With the Yankees in need of some bullpen help after losing both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to free agency this winter, Castro might have a chance to crack the major-league roster.
New York swung a trade with the Colorado Rockies to acquire fellow righty Angel Chivilli last month, but otherwise, the Yanks haven't really done much with their pen.
Castro already has familiarity with the organization and clearly opened some eyes last year, so we'll see if he gets a chance in 2026.
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