Daniel Castano

1.1. Early Life and Education

Castano was born on September 17, 1994, in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Austin, Texas. He attended Lake Travis High School in Austin, where he was a standout baseball player. During his senior year, he achieved a 6-3 record with a remarkable 1.03 ERA over 67 and two-thirds innings across 11 appearances. His exceptional performance earned him both District MVP and Team MVP honors.

1.2. College Career

After graduating from high school, Castano enrolled at Baylor University, where he played college baseball for the Baylor Bears for three years. In 2015, he further honed his skills by participating in collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham Anglers of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. During his junior year in 2016, he pitched to a 4-5 record with a 4.64 ERA in 14 games started for Baylor.

2.1. St. Louis Cardinals

Following his junior year at Baylor, Castano was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 19th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, as the 586th overall pick. He signed with the Cardinals and was assigned to the Johnson City Cardinals in the Appalachian League, a rookie-level affiliate.

In 2016, his debut professional season, Castano spent the entire year with Johnson City, where he posted a 2-5 record with a 6.19 ERA over 12 games, 11 of which were starts. He recorded 34 strikeouts. In 2017, he saw significant improvement while playing for the State College Spikes, an A-level affiliate. He pitched to an impressive 9-3 record with a 2.57 ERA over 14 starts, accumulating 81 strikeouts. His strong performance earned him New York-Penn League All-Star honors.

2.2. Miami Marlins

On December 13, 2017, Castano was part of a significant trade that sent him, along with Sandy Alcántara, Magneuris Sierra, and Zac Gallen, to the Miami Marlins in exchange for outfielder Marcell Ozuna. This trade underscored the reality of professional baseball, where players are often integral components in larger team-building strategies.

He began the 2018 season with the Jupiter Hammerheads, a High-A affiliate, and also spent time with the Gulf Coast Marlins (Rookie) and the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Single-A) during the year. Across 24 games (23 starts) for these three teams, he compiled a 9-12 record with a 3.93 ERA and recorded 116 strikeouts. In 2019, he returned to Jupiter to start the season before being promoted to the Double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in May. Between the two clubs, Castano pitched to a 7-4 record with a 3.48 ERA, striking out 104 batters over 119 innings across 13 games (11 starts).

Castano made his MLB debut on August 8, 2020, against the New York Mets, allowing 4 earned runs over 4.1 innings. He concluded his rookie season with a 1-2 record and a 3.03 ERA in 7 appearances.

The 2021 season brought a setback when Castano was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 9 due to a left shoulder impingement, highlighting the physical demands and inherent risks of an athlete's career. He made only 5 appearances (4 starts) that year, posting an 0-2 record with a 4.87 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. In 2022, Castano appeared in 10 games for Miami, making 7 starts, and recorded a 1-3 record with a 4.04 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 35.1 innings of work.

The 2023 season was marked by multiple roster transactions, illustrating the precarious nature of a player's position in the major leagues. On January 19, Castano was designated for assignment by the Marlins after the signing of Johnny Cueto was finalized. He cleared waivers on January 26 and was sent outright to the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. His contract was selected back to the 40-man and active rosters on April 4. However, after only one appearance for Miami, he was again removed from the roster and sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville on June 23. He was selected back to the major league roster on September 10, but the following day, he allowed five runs in two innings pitched against the Milwaukee Brewers. Castano was again designated for assignment on September 12, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Jacksonville on September 14. On October 10, he elected free agency. His 2023 MLB performance was challenging, as he pitched only 3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 8 runs (7 earned), with 4 strikeouts, resulting in a 21.00 ERA and a 3.33 WHIP. This marked a significant increase from his previous seasons, ending a three-season streak of a WHIP below 2.00.

2.3. NC Dinos

On December 13, 2023, Castano signed a one-year contract with the NC Dinos of the KBO League for a total of 850.00 K USD. The contract included a signing bonus of 130.00 K USD, an annual salary of 520.00 K USD, and up to 200.00 K USD in options. This move represented a strategic decision to continue his professional career in an international league, seeking new opportunities and a stable role.

During his tenure with the Dinos in 2024, Castano made 19 starts, compiling an 8-6 record with a 4.35 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 111 and two-thirds innings pitched. He demonstrated periods of strong performance, including:

• On June 13, against the KT Wiz, he pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk, and striking out 4, while giving up 2 earned runs, securing his fifth win of the season.
• On June 19, against the Doosan Bears, he threw 85 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 5 hits (including 1 home run), 1 walk, and striking out 4, with 3 earned runs, earning his sixth win.
• On July 3, facing the SSG Landers, he recorded his seventh win by pitching 6 innings, yielding 5 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 7, while allowing only 1 earned run.
• On July 17, against the Hanwha Eagles, he pitched 8 innings, allowing 8 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and 1 home run, with 1 earned run, securing his eighth win.
• His final appearance for the NC Dinos was on July 23, against the KIA Tigers, where he pitched 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 3, while giving up 6 earned runs, resulting in a loss.

Castano was subsequently released by the NC Dinos on July 31, 2024, after being placed on waivers on July 28 and becoming a free agent on August 4. The Dinos acquired Eric Jokisch as his replacement. On September 3, 2024, Castano announced his retirement from professional baseball, marking the end of his playing career.

5.1. Major League Baseball (MLB) Statistics

• Statistics as of the end of the 2023 MLB season.

• Defensive statistics as of the end of the 2021 MLB season.

5.2. KBO League Statistics

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 KBO season.