The Philadelphia Phillies have a slew of minor league pitching talent. The most obvious name is Andrew Painter, but after last year's draft, the organization bolstered its depth of arms in the system.
One pitcher who made his way into the Phillies' Top 30 MLB Pipeline prospects over the last few seasons is Eiberson Castellano. The 24-year-old Venezuelan right-hander signed with the organization in July 2018.
It took some time for him to start pitching in the minor league system, but since 2021, Castellano has demonstrated an ability to rack up strikeouts despite some control issues.
Eiberson Castellano will have to prove himself to Phillies in AFL for a 40-man roster spot
Currently, the No. 24 prospect in the Phillies' system is pitching in the Arizona Fall League. His performance there may help the front office decide whether or not he should be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter.
Castellano is pitching with something to prove, although his first two AFL appearances have left something to be desired. Through six innings with the Surprise Saguaros, he has allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks. He has, however, fanned nine opposing hitters in that span.
Castellano will have to improve throughout the course of the AFL to convince the front office to keep him around. He has interesting stuff, including a nasty curveball that generated a 49 percent whiff rate in 2024 and an upper-90s fastball.
Eiberson Castellano threw some heat in his Double-A debut yesterday with his fastball sitting at 97 mph 🔥
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) July 22, 2024
6 IP | 4 H | 2 ER | 2 BB | 6 K pic.twitter.com/kFdokkUDAa
Castellano is no stranger to the Rule 5 Draft. In fact, last winter he was taken by the Minnesota Twins. After struggling with the club during spring training, he did not make the Twins' Opening Day roster; thus, he had to be offered back to the Phillies per the rules of the draft.
His 2025 season was cut short due to injury, appearing in 20 games with Double-A Reading and one game with High-A Jersey Shore. He also struggled with command when he was on the mound.
In those 21 appearances, only two of which were starts, he allowed 26 earned runs in 36 1/3 frames.
Those numbers are not glaring reasons to hold onto the guy, right? Well in 2024 he looked much better. He won the organization's Paul Owens Award, which is given to the top minor league position player and pitcher in the system, that year.
During that season, Castellano pitched to a 3.99 ERA with Reading and Jersey Shore. While that number may seem high, his 1.13 WHIP and 11.8 SO/9 rate showed that he is a talented young arm.
Now the question becomes, will he do enough to be added to he Phillies' 40-man roster prior to this winter's Rule 5 Draft?