Willi Castro Is Trying To Be Like Water

Willi Castro has known Amed Rosario since 2012 and lived with him during the quarantine. He later married Rosario’s sister, Aniana. Castro says Aniana occasionally chides him for drinking enough water to fill a kiddie pool before bed.

“I drink a lot of water,” said Castro. “When I go to bed, I have three bottles of water by my side. And when I wake up, there's none left.”

Castro admits he didn’t eat well and wasn’t hydrated enough at the beginning of his career. Despite growing up the son of a major leaguer who later coached, Castro ate too much fast food and drank more sports drinks than water. Now, he’s constantly sipping on a water bottle.

“Every time I go in the bathroom, it's going to be clear,” he proudly proclaimed. “It's really weird if it's yellow.

“I'm always hydrated. That's one of my keys, drink a lot of water.”

Before the All-Star break last year, Castro hit .266/.352/.422 with 22 doubles, five triples, and seven homers. He became an everyday player and earned his first All-Star nod at age 27. However, Castro battled back tightness and an oblique injury after the All-Star break. In 62 games, he hit .219/.298/.329, with nine doubles, no triples, and five homers.

“When you're playing a lot, you're never going to be consistent,” he said. “Sometimes you feel tired, but it's natural. Everybody goes through that. I'm not going to have the excuse that I was tired.

“But there's days that you don't feel the same as yesterday, you know? Especially playing every day, there's days that you're not going to feel right.”

Castro played 158 games last year, 33 more than his previous career high. He had a career-high 635 at-bats while moving all over the diamond. Rocco Baldelli played Castro 59 games in the outfield, 56 at shortstop, 40 at second, and 27 at third, and pitched in two blowouts.

While Castro won’t use injuries as an excuse, he played significantly better when he was healthier in the first half. He feels confident in his physical training and treatment, so he’s focused on eating well and hydrating to ready himself for next season.

“It's all about staying on the field,” said Castro.

However, eating healthy can be challenging for Castro because he’ll eat anything. He loves fish, and his mother and wife cook salmon. Castro also loves a good steak. He feels he can eat a variety of meals as long as he avoids fast food. Castro’s focus is primarily on portion control.

“I tell you, I eat whatever,” he said with a smile. “It's just the amount you eat.”

Castro says he’s been eating right and hydrating for at least five years.

“When I was in Cleveland, we had nutrition guys that told us the importance of drinking water,” he said. “For the athlete [you have] to keep yourself hydrated. Sometimes, when you're dehydrated, that's when you pull something.

“I used to not drink much water. I was more, like, Gatorade, and I could really feel the difference. Like, there was times I felt like I was cramping up.”

He started his career with the Cleveland Guardians, but they traded him to the Detroit Tigers in 2018. Three years later, he finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .349/.381/.550 for Detroit. Castro played over 100 games in the next three seasons, but the Tigers released him after the 2022 season.

“Man,” he said regarding hydration, “it’s been a game-changer.”

The Minnesota Twins signed him in December 2023, adding him while Baldelli was driving home from Tree House Brewing in Charlton, Mass. Baldelli immediately appreciated Castro’s positional fluidity and consistent at-bats.

“[When] Willi starts playing as well as he’s been playing for us, and he’s pretty healthy, durable guy, it’s like, ‘Well, when do you take him out of the lineup?’” Baldelli said last year. “Why would you take him out of the lineup, ever? Because he can play every day against everybody and be productive, and there’s no matchup issue, ever.”

Castro’s next step is staying healthy and productive for an entire season. He uses supplements like fish oil but doesn’t count calories. Instead, he listens to his body.

“I know my body wasn't feeling the same when I used to [eat poorly],” he said. “Especially for the athletes, it's really important for the athletes to have a good nutrition. And I know when you have good nutrition, when you go in the weight room, you feel different.

“You feel it if you're eating bad and you go to the weight room. You [go in] there [for], like, 10 minutes and then get out of there. That's it. But when you're eating good, and you go in there, like, you feel like, I last, like, an hour and a half, an hour.”

Castro is refining his swing and improving his defensive versatility in spring training. However, nutrition is his foundation. He believes that if he eats right and drinks enough water, he can build on last season’s success.