Del Castillo Digging Deep Mentally and Physically to Improve

Adrian Del Castillo is in his first official Spring Training in which he is an MLB player with experience in the big leagues and a chance at making an Opening Day roster.

He will be in a battle with Jose Herrera and Rene Pinto for the back-up catcher position behind starter Gabriel Moreno. Considering Moreno's injury woes the last couple of seasons, this is a pivotal position for the team that will have plenty of playing time and impact on the pitching staff and team as a whole.

Only time will tell how Del Castillo does in his quest to make the roster from Day One or if he will wind up in Reno, yet that doesn't mean he will not give his all or push to get better.

Del Castillo shared that "I'm feeling great, everything's going smooth" as Spring Training is in it's first full-squad week.

Asked about the difference in this year's Spring Training as an MLB player versus being a prospect in last year's Spring Training, Del Castillo said, "I mean obviously, I know a couple of the guys a lot more now. I played with them last year and had a good time. Just hoping to do it more this year and this Spring Training kind of win a spot.

"We got three really good catchers, including myself and a couple other guys as well just fighting for the spot, but I'll do the best I can out there and let everything take care of itself."

What are his goals for Spring Training aside from getting work in and making the Opening Day roster? Del Castillo explains in detail below.

"For sure my throwing to second base, to any base in general. Defense in general. That's important for me right now not that I'm not getting better anywhere else but that's my main focus."

He went deeper into how he practices in improving his throwing arm and at catching would-be base-stealers this Spring. That was something he struggled with during his MLB debut last year.

"A lot of footwork, a lot of machine work, work on my glove transfer, try get to my feet quicker, get my feet in a better position to throw it better, more accurately, and also throw it better as well...try to put an accurate throw on the ball."

Del Castillo said that he hasn't heard anything about being asked to play designated hitter more. They are "pretty strong" about him being a catcher right now.

He attributes his power breakout from last year to a "better mental approach" after working with coaches and teammates for years and "try to not do too much."

Del Castillo hit .354 over his first 54 plate appearances in MLB before hitting just .250 with a .710 OPS over his last 33 plate appearances before being sent down.

He experienced the highs and lows of playing baseball at an MLB level as he dominated and then fell back to Earth.

Speaking on that, he said, "Baseball, there's always going to be ups and downs. The most important is that mentally, you're stable. I've been in the Minor Leagues where I've struggled, I overcame it. I'm hoping to do the same thing in the Big Leagues. Staying levelheaded, every day's a new day."

He said that he has to work on staying levelheaded since no one wants to do bad but he knows that you have to "have confidence, you have a bad day, next day you could do great...In the minor leagues, I learned that a lot...I got to get better everyday."