Cole
DeCastro

Committed: College of Southern Idaho

2022 PBR Future Games

2022 PBR West Coast Games

The 4A 1st ™ All-State SS and CSI commit took a clean efficient BP, by lining back spun shots from the LCF alley to straightaway LF. The metrics were his best yet at a PBR event from a Blast Motion standpoint, as he put up hand and bat speed metrics of 25.9 and 76.6 with an EV max of 91.3 in taking a clean crisp BP. Defensively the round was clean and crisp as the BP, showing athletic educated feet in sync with his glove work and firing EZ accurate throws across the diamond, while running a 7.20/60 on a slow wet track, with his best being a 6.93 at the Top Prospect Games in July. 

Positional Profile: SS/2B

Hits: RHH.
Power: 90 max exit velocity, averaged 87.4 MPH. 338' max distance.
Arm: RH. INF-80 mph .
Defense:
Run: 6.93 runner in the 60.
Vizual Edge: 79.12 Edge Score

DeCastro is as sound defensively as they come at SS in the entire state. A true SS, that doesn’t show flash, but picks everything left to right and comes in on the run well. Reminds me of Pirates SS, Kevin Newman. Steady Eddie with the glove. You hit it to him and you’re out. With the bat, DeCastro works counts and sprays LD’s in all directions with a high contact approach. A 6.9-7.0/60 is plenary for the next level, but what he lacks in pure speed, he makes up for with a high baseball IQ and + instincts for the position. A 2nd Team All-Region and HM All-State player as a sophomore, look for even further steps as he climbs to his ceiling. 

The Future Games alum, is one of the best defensive SS in the state and shows educated feet and a plus feel to receive the ball out front and make plays from all angles. Is as steady as they come and was an All-Region performer last spring. The bat, which is a contact type bat, is now driving the ball with something behind it and it’s evident with his hand speed and bat speeds of 25.8 and 73.6! The EV was 91.2 and the swing has more finish and length out front, which attests to his added strength over the last 3-4 months of hard work! Look for a good spring from DeCastro!

A Future Games and West Coast Games participant, Cole had his best BP to date, as he jumped from the 87 mark in EV to 91.2 and is squaring the ball up on a more consistent basis, the more of these high profile events he has earned. One of the better defensive SS in the state and in the 2023 class, DeCastro shows consistency at SS, and has solid avg range and athleticism to stay in the dirt. Sure handed and smooth, but not flashy, he is substance over flash, and this enables him to make and finish plays vs other MIF’ers in the state. The type that if you hit his direction, you’re out! The leadoff hitter on the 25-5 Desert Hills squad that finished this past spring as our #4 ranked team in the PBR Power 20, Cole hit near .400 with a high contact rate, and was an on-base candidate every time he stepped to the plate with a patient eye and zone recognition. I look for Cole to make additional strength gains over the next 6 months leading up to the 2022 season and will be a catalyst for the “Thunder” for the next 2 years, as he is now drawing college attention. 

A Future Games participant with a fundamentally sound game on the defensive side as he showed well as he has throughout his youth and into HS, as he plays technically sound with his feet and hands synced up at SS. Plays well on the move vertically/horizontally and if you hit it to him in a stationary position, he’s steady Eddie and you are out. His hands are soft and his arm is crisp and fluid and doesn’t have big arm strength, yet he is online and accurate with his throws. He’s a consistent defender. Offensively he has above avg hand and slightly abv bat speed, and is a singles and gap to gap type that could grow into more power as he matures, he just needs strength and barrel release to get there. An open bat head at launch prevents the leverage and torque needed to drive the ball and can cut off after contact, cutting down on his hard hit %. There are things to tweak and he has the aptitude to make adjs. A baseball player type!

Also not a metrics type player and is a sum of all his parts type, that knows how to play and does it gracefully. A smooth fielding defender with soft hands and gets into position to make throws with above avg accuracy. Doesn’t sell out for arm velo in showcase or game conditions, but shows a low heartbeat, which I call a slow game clock. A line drive hitter that uses the whole field, but it’s the defense that’s steady Eddy and makes all the plays. 

A lean thin athletic build that projects more weight and strength gains with maturity. Cole has performed up to this point and has taken a step forward over the past summer/fall. For a kid that looks like there isn’t strength, he generated a high exit velo of 85.3, which with physical maturity you can see another 10 MPH over the next 3 spring seasons. Features a spread out semi crouched square stance with his bat on his back shoulder and times up a pitcher's release and rocks back and turns the barrel into the launch position with a slight lift of the foot and sets it down into a soft short stride. He shows a very short compact stroke on a linear plane with the ball and finishes with a tight two hand follow through. With tweaks to create length out front, driving the ball to the pull side will happen quickly. Defensively as a SS, he shows educated feet and moves fluidly toward the ball and plays from the ground up with his hands out front. He catches balls clean and shows an EZ fluid release without selling out for velocity. His throws are accurate across the diamond and makes the routine play routine.