Welington Castillo is on hashtag fire emoji

The Diamondbacks offense has been on some kind of tear. The team has scored at least six runs in five consecutive games, catapulting the team’s run total to the third-highest mark in baseball this season.

This is due in large part to the reversal of fortune seen in Welington Castillo’s offensive output. The catcher has batted .343/.400/.886 in his last eight games with six home runs and twelve RBI. This comes after batting  .222/.300/.259 without a home run or RBI in his first seven games.

This is the Castillo that Diamondbacks fans have become accustomed to since he was traded to the team last May. He hit 17 home runs in 80 games after the trade last year, and he looks to be on a similar tear now. Having a player who can hit like this– especially from a position where you don’t traditionally find a lot of offense– is a huge bonus for every team. It’s still premature to call Castillo an elite offensive catcher, but he sure has played like one for close to a full season now. They may have found a diamond in the rough.

A consistently slugging Castillo could be the Diamondbacks’ x-factor this season. The team will need everyone to step their offensive game up– especially in the absence of A.J. Pollock. Getting a 20 home run player out of the catcher position would be a spectacular way to absorb some of the hit the team takes from not having Pollock.

As of today, it’s hard to say Castillo is not one of the best offensive catchers in baseball at this point.