The real test begins when the rough patch inevitably hits. Starlin Castro has been here before, frequently starting fast only to hit an elongated drought. The Yankees’ 27-year-old second baseman entered this season with one goal: rid himself of the inconsistency in his game.
“The particular thing I worked on this year is try to be consistent,” he said. “When the struggling comes, try to keep it short.”
Castro entered Tuesday’s game at the Stadium against the White Sox on one of those positive streaks, with back-to-back multi-hit games and having hit safely in nine of his previous 10 games. He was leading the team in hits (19) and total bases (28), second in hitting (.365) and sporting a .927 OPS.
“Starlin is one of the guys we’ve relied on and who has really played well for us so far,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We’ve seen him go through stretches like this, and you hope he keeps it up.”
But more important to Castro is how he handles his struggles when they come. He made sure to point out it still is early, that the real challenges await. Essential will be not to panic when the hits stop falling. Last year, for instance, he hit .305 in April with 12 RBIs, but just .200 in May.
“Try to pay attention [to details] and stay within my plan,” he said, when asked how he plans to avoid a long slump. “Just try to continue with my same plan, and try to be consistent all season.”
Castro has hit so well so far, he even batted cleanup the previous two games — a role he said he likes. During his time with the Cubs, he batted fourth on occasion.
“I can drive some runs [in] and help the team,” Castro said. “The guys in front of me get on base a lot.”
Despite the drop-off after April in his first year in The Bronx, Castro considered last year somewhat of a success. He produced a career-high 21 home runs, drove in 70 runs — the second highest total in his seven years in the major leagues — and notched a solid .733 OPS as the Yankees finished fourth in the AL East with a solid 84-78 record in the first step of their rebuild. But it hardly compared to what took place in his old home of Chicago, where the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years.
Castro, who spent the first six seasons of his career in Chicago, was thrilled for the city and his former teammates — watching every game of the postseason and pulling hard for the Cubs.
“It was emotional,” he said. “I really wanted them to win. Definitely I wish to be there, that’s the team that gave me my first opportunity. But I feel happy for my ex-teammates and I feel happy for the city of Chicago.”
It also motivated him in the offseason to experience the same with the Yankees. He wanted that same euphoric feeling for himself.
“That motivates me. I want to win, too,” Castro said. “We come in here for one goal, that’s to win the championship. We see Chicago did it.”