51s outfielder finds inspiration in memories of late brother

When Alex Castellanos clubbed the decisive home run for the 51s in Monday night’s 3-2 win over Albuquerque that capped a doubleheader sweep at Cashman Field, he pointed to the sky — just as he has after each of his 99 homers as a pro, including two for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The gesture carries a special significance for Castellanos, who points to the heavens in honor of his late older brother, Osmany Castellanos, who was killed at age 23 in a boating accident in their native Miami in 2007.

Osmany, known as Ozzie to his friends, was a lifeguard who was off duty when he fell off a boat and was then fatally struck by the boat.

Ozzie was Alex’s only sibling and his biggest supporter in baseball.

“That was a big blow. We were really close,” Alex said. “He was rooting me on in baseball. He would always tell people I was going to the big leagues.

“After that, I was basically playing for him to get to the top.”

Castellanos, who has a team-leading six homers for Las Vegas, contemplated quitting the game after his brother’s death. Rather than return for his second season at Belmont Abbey College, a tiny Division II school in North Carolina, Castellanos considered staying home in Miami to support his parents.

“My mom was dealing with everything and I asked her if she wanted me to go back because school was starting a month after that happened,” he said. “She said, ‘You’re going to have to go back. Don’t give up on your dream because all this happened.’”

Castellanos said his coach, Kermit Smith, and others at the Catholic college helped him deal with his grief.

“I felt right at home there,” he said. “My coach there was probably one of the best coaches I ever played for. He welcomed me with open arms when everything happened and just walked me through it.”

Undrafted out of high school, Castellanos was cut by Miami-Dade Junior College. He was playing in an amateur summer league when he was discovered by Smith, who was scouting a pitcher when Castellanos caught his eye.

When his assistant coach asked him if he found a pitcher, Smith said, “No, but I just found the Division II Babe Ruth.”

After getting his grades in order and bulking up, the 6-foot, 200-pound Castellanos excelled for the Crusaders, batting .390 with a Division II-leading 31 doubles in 2008, when he was drafted in the 10th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

During a breakout Double-A season in 2011 (.320, 23 homers, 85 RBIs, 102 runs), Castellanos — who has played every position except pitcher and catcher in the minors — was traded to the Dodgers for shortstop Rafael Furcal.

He made his big-league debut for Los Angeles in 2012, tripling for his first hit and belting his first homer in the majors in his final at-bat of the season at Dodger Stadium.

Castellanos, who always wears a wristband that reads “In Loving Memory of Osmany Castellanos,” credits his brother for inspiring him to achieve his goal.

“That was a big part of me getting to the big leagues,” he said. “That was a great accomplishment at the time and I’m still trying to get back right now.”

The first Belmont Abbey product in 79 years to reach the majors, Castellanos appeared in 24 games for the Dodgers, who traded him to the Boston Red Sox after the 2013 season.

After getting cut by the Red Sox and Texas Rangers, Castellanos was claimed off waivers before last season by the San Diego Padres, who optioned him to El Paso, where he finished strong after a slow start.

“I started trying to find my swing again,” he said. “I got hot toward the end. It felt like something clicked.”

Signed by the New York Mets as a minor league free agent, Castellanos, 28, opened this season on a 12-game hitting streak for the 51s and is batting .369 with 17 RBIs.

“He plays hard, he can play multiple positions and he’s got big power,” Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said. “He stayed in spring training a long time with the Mets. The Mets liked what they’ve seen of him. He’s a kid who will probably get a chance (in the majors) some time.”

Castellanos, who leads the Pacific Coast League in slugging percentage (.783), hit a tiebreaking solo shot in the sixth inning of the nightcap to lift the 51s (11-8) to their fifth straight win.

“I just want to try to stay consistent the rest of the season and work my way up,” he said. “So I can show them that I’ve still got what everyone thought I had.”

■ NOTE — Noah Syndergaard tossed a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and no walks in his first career complete game in an 8-0 win over the Isotopes (9-10) in the opener.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or -383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.