Harold Castro Named International League Player of the Week
PAPILLION, Neb. – Minor League Baseball has announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Omaha Storm Chasers infielder Harold Castro was named the International League Player of the Week for his performance the week of August 11 to 17.
PAPILLION, Neb. – Minor League Baseball has announced the Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for each of the respective Player Development Leagues and Omaha Storm Chasers infielder Harold Castro was named the International League Player of the Week for his performance the week of August 11 to 17.
Castro went 9-for-17 (.529 average) at the plate during Omaha’s home series against the St. Paul Saints. The infielder connected for 4 home runs and drove in 7 runs, with a 1.814 OPS in his four games against the Minnesota Twins affiliate. The 31-year-old ranked 2nd in the IL in homers and tied 2nd in total bases with Storm Chasers teammate Jac Caglianone. Castro won Tuesday’s series opening game for the Chasers with a walk-off single in the 9th inning, then hit solo homers Thursday and Friday and connected on 2 home runs in Sunday’s series finale.
After spending 2024 in Mexico with the Toros de Tijuana, Castro has hit .280 (75-for-268) with a .792 OPS over 73 games with Omaha in 2025. He ranks 2nd on the Storm Chasers with 75 hits and 14 home runs, while 3rd on the team with 127 total bases and 41 runs batted in. Castro has made at least 6 starts at all 4 infield positions for Omaha, making one start at each position in his award-winning week.
Originally signed by the Tigers as an International Free Agent in March 2011, Castro signed a Minor League free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals in January 2025. The Venezuela native has plated parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues since debuting with the Tigers in 2018, totaling 450 MLB games between 2018 and 2023. Castro was previously named the Eastern League Player of the Week in August 2017 with the Erie SeaWolves.
This award marks the fourth Storm Chasers player to win a weekly award this year, after outfielder Drew Waters and left-handed pitcher Tyson Guerrero swept the IL weekly awards for the week of March 31 to April 6 and Thomas Hatch was name the Pitcher of the Week for the Week of June 9 to 15.
Right-hander Trey Gibson of the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A, Baltimore Orioles) was the International League’s Pitcher of the Week, as he threw 5.0 scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut Wednesday, allowing just 1 hit while striking out 6.