Marcos Castanon Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	289
AVG	.287
OBP	.352
SLG	.491
HR	13

Full name Marcos Castañon
Born 03/23/1999 in San Bernardino, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School UC Santa Barbara
Drafted in the 12th round (370th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2021 (signed for $125,000).

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Castanon fell under the radar in high school playing in talent-rich Southern California, but he frequently outperformed more high-profile players and set his school record for most career hits. He continued that trend as a four-year starter at UC Santa Barbara and hit .412/.508/.742 this spring through the Gauchos’ regional opener despite missing almost two months with a broken hand. Castanon is a strong 6-foot, 195-pound infielder who just plain hits. He has solid bat speed, controls the strike zone and has a natural feel for the barrel. He crushes fastballs, stays on breaking balls and drives the ball with authority from center to left field. He began tapping into power more this year and hit a career-high eight home runs in only 25 games. There are no doubts about Castanon’s bat, but finding a position for him is challenging. He is a below-average runner, has a below-average arm and has poor range at second base because he doesn’t move well laterally. He has a thick build with a strong lower half and projects to slow down more with age. Castanon’s bat fits in the top-10 rounds, but his defensive limitations make him a Day Three draft candidate for most teams. He is a fourth-year junior considered likely to sign.

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Castanon fell under the radar in high school playing in talent-rich Southern California, but he frequently outperformed more high-profile players and set his school record for most career hits. He continued that trend as a four-year starter at UC Santa Barbara and hit .412/.508/.742 this spring through the Gauchos’ regional opener despite missing almost two months with a broken hand. Castanon is a strong 6-foot, 195-pound infielder who just plain hits. He has solid bat speed, controls the strike zone and has a natural feel for the barrel. He crushes fastballs, stays on breaking balls and drives the ball with authority from center to left field. He began tapping into power more this year and hit a career-high eight home runs in only 25 games. There are no doubts about Castanon’s bat, but finding a position for him is challenging. He is a below-average runner, has a below-average arm and has poor range at second base because he doesn’t move well laterally. He has a thick build with a strong lower half and projects to slow down more with age. Castanon’s bat fits in the top-10 rounds, but his defensive limitations make him a Day Three draft candidate for most teams. He is a fourth-year junior considered likely to sign.
Castanon was something of a hidden gem in high school who frequently outplayed more famous players in talent-rich Southern California. UC Santa Barbara was one of the few schools to recognize his talent, and he rewarded the Gauchos by becoming a three-year contributor in their middle infield. He led UCSB in hits (17), home runs (four) and RBI (17) through 15 games this spring before the season shut down. Castanon’s top asset is his bat. He has a strong lower half, swings hard to do damage and hits the ball a long way when he connects. He is extremely aggressive and prone to swinging and missing, but he still made enough contact to hit .308 in his final two seasons at UCSB. He did struggle with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League last summer, batting .189 with 30 strikeouts in 24 games. Castanon is a second baseman who projects to stay there with his thick build and below-average speed. He will go as far as his bat takes him.