2015 TCB Astros March Madness: Jason Castro vs. Preston Tucker

Just a reminder; voting will stay open for 24 hours for each of these match-ups, and there will be two match-ups per day. For a complete breakdown, check out the introductory post if you haven't already. Here's a link to the first round's wrap up post (wherein you'll find the updated bracket) if you need it. Get those votes in while you can!

Round Two, Match Nine

Jason Castro, C

While others were breaking out, it's safe to say that Castro's 2014 was a meltdown, at least compared to the previous season. The backstop saw a 35% drop in wRC+ from his All-Star campaign in 2013, due in part to notable steps back in walk rate and strike out rate. His BAbip normalize, and his power dropped off as well. His pitch framing and double-digit home run power will keep him in the lineup in 2015, but unless he shows some level of rebound, it wouldn't be a shock to see him traded before he hits free agency following the 2016 season. -- Brian Stevenson

VS.

Preston Tucker, OF

And now we have Chris’ boy! He’s never had a below average wOBA and he’s never had an OBP under .348. He draws walks at a good clip and until AAA, his highest strikeout rate was 17.2%. It went up to 23.9% at AAA which is definitely a cause for concern moving forward considering he also posted his lowest ISO of his career. If those rates improve closer to his career rates, it’s possible he could be an average corner OFer. -- Subber10