If the New York Yankees were to host the Seattle Mariners in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, the pitching matchup for that game could look at lot like what's on tap for Wedneday's matinee. New Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo will take the mound against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Castillo is set at Over/Under 5.5 strikeouts in his Seattle debut, but the Yankees are -190 favorites at Caesars Sportsbook.
Castillo was the top starting pitcher to change teams ahead of Tuesday' ;s trade deadline. He was an All-Star this season with Cincinnati and is 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 14 starts. Castillo started the season a bit late due to injury and was a tad shaky early on, but has been great of late with five straight quality starts since June 28. In that span, he is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and is holding opponents to a .187 (23-for-123) batting average.
Seattle is looking for its first playoff birth since 2001, the longest postseason drought not just in MLB but in any of the four major American sports leagues. The Mariners aren't catching the Astros for the AL West title but are in a good position for a Wild-Card spot and would have to get through a Wild-Card Series (remember it's a new playoff format going forward) to potentially face the Yankees. The Mariners are -400 to make the playoffs at DraftKings.
The M's gave up four prospects for Castillo, led by shortstop Noelvi Marte, ranked No. 17 overall by MLB.com . Castillo has pitched one playoff game in his career (2020). The SportsLine Projection Model improved Seattle's playoff chances by 2.1 percent immediately following the trade.