Former Los Angeles Dodgers‘ outfielder Tim Locastro has officially transitioned from the playing field to the coaching box, landing his first professional coaching role with the San Diego Padres.
The Padres announced Locastro as their baserunning and outfield coordinator, effectively ending the 33-year-old’s seven-year Major League career.
Locastro spent the past two seasons with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas, after signing a minor league deal in Feb. 2024, making the move to coaching a natural progression within the organization.
MLB News: Former Los Angeles Dodgers Outfielder Tim Locastro Joins San Diego Padres Staff
Locastro’s calling card throughout his professional career was his elite speed. According to Statcast, his 30.7 feet per second sprint speed ranked him as one of the fastest players in baseball this decade.
That speed translated to remarkable baserunning success. Locastro finished his MLB career with 45 stolen bases in just 50 attempts—a 90% success rate that ranks among the best in modern baseball history.
His most impressive feat came in April 2021 when he broke Hall of Famer Tim Raines’ record for most consecutive stolen bases to start a career without being caught, reaching 29 straight before finally being thrown out on April 17, 2021. The Baseball Hall of Fame requested his cleats from the record-breaking game.
“He’s not just fast,” former Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said in 2021, per ESPN. “He’s a good baseball player who’s learned how to hit.”
Locastro’s Journey Through Baseball
The upstate New York native played in 290 Major League games across seven seasons (2017-2023) with the Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.
Locastro finished his MLB career with a .228/.327/.337 slash line, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, and those 45 stolen bases. While his offensive numbers were modest, his defensive versatility and baserunning prowess kept him on rosters throughout his career.
His professional journey began when the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. The Dodgers acquired him in a minor league trade in 2015, sending right-handed pitching prospect Chase De Jong to Toronto.
Locastro spent two years grinding through the Dodgers’ minor league system before earning a September call-up in 2017. His 2017 Triple-A season with Oklahoma City was particularly impressive—he posted a .388 batting average with a .987 OPS across 31 games.
Despite strong Triple-A numbers, Locastro struggled to gain traction at the MLB level with Los Angeles. He appeared in just 18 games across two seasons (2017-18) with the Dodgers, hitting .182 with a .630 OPS in limited at-bats before being designated for assignment after the 2018 season.
The Diamondbacks claimed Locastro off waivers and gave him his first extended MLB opportunity in 2019. He responded by appearing in 91 games with a .697 OPS and showcased his baserunning skills. The shortened 2020 season saw him post an .859 OPS across 50 games.
Locastro’s production dipped in 2021, leading to a July trade to the Yankees. He spent a season and a half in New York, primarily serving as a pinch-running specialist. The Yankees chose not to extend him a qualifying offer after 2022, and he signed with the Mets for what became his final MLB season in 2023.
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