Earning an All-Star nod is an honor few MLB players get to claim. Whether it's as a starter, backup, or replacement, it all counts the same, and being selected by your peers is a bonus to the humbling honor. For Minnesota Twins super utilityman Willi Castro, that became a reality on Thursday.
Castro was named as an American League All-Star replacement for Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, per Bob Nightengale. Altuve, who was voted the starting second baseman for the AL, opted not to play as he nurses a sore right hand, the Astros announced. He was hit by a pitch against the Twins on July 5 and missed one game. Marcus Semien will start at second base.
The 27-year-old Castro is hitting .268 with 22 doubles, seven home runs and five triples. He's appeared in all 93 Twins games and has played at least 99 innings at five positions. Few utility players in the MLB are as “super” as Castro has been this season.
Several Twins players and coaches have spoken highly of Castro. Carlos Correa, Minnesota's lone All-Star representative before Thursday, called Castro the Twins' most valuable player.
“He’s the real MVP of this team,” Correa said on June 16, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. “He plays everywhere. If somebody gets hurt, he replaces them with no problem. If you ask him to play second, he plays great defense at second base. If you ask him to play shortstop, left, center, it doesn’t matter. He plays everywhere. When you have a guy like that, he makes you so much better as a team. I think we should appreciate him way more than we do already. He’s a real great player.”
Twins playing well as second half looms
A look at the standings shows the Twins five games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. However, Minnesota has played like a first-place team since the end of April and is consistently winning as a crucial part of the season approaches.
The Twins won their sixth consecutive series on Wednesday after splitting a doubleheader with the Chicago White Sox. Since April 22, the Twins are 46-27 and lead the MLB in runs scored.
At 53-40, Minnesota sits in the second wild card spot in the American League. The Twins are two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox entering Thursday's action and 2 1/2 clear of the dropoff.
After the playoff success of last season, Minnesota would love to host postseason baseball again this October. The Twins are proving to be a true contender and could get even better before the trade deadline. They've certainly shown enough to at least get the front office thinking about going all in this season.
While the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles battle for the AL East crown, the Twins will try to keep pace with the Guardians in the central. One of those four teams will likely be the top seed in the American League.
It would’ve sounded crazy to suggest the Twins would be a top seed in the playoffs before the season and even more so at the end of April. With the way they've played over the last 12 weeks, it's not so far-fetched now.
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