Castro caps breakout 2013 as unanimous team MVP

HOUSTON -- Catcher Jason Castro was selected as the Astros' Most Valuable Player in an unanimous vote by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, the team announced Wednesday.

Castro, 26, was among the top offensive catchers in the Majors this season, hitting .276 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs before landing on the disabled list Sept. 13 after having a cyst removed from his knee. His on-base percentage was .350, with a slugging average of .485. He was named to the American League All-Star team and was a two-time AL Player of the Week Award winner.

The former Stanford star was picked 10th overall in the 2008 Draft, and made his big league debut with the Astros in 2010, appearing in 67 games.

Others award winners: Brett Oberholtzer, Pitcher of the Year; Jarred Cosart, Rookie of the Year; Carlos Corporan, Darryl Kile Award winner; and D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Houston Area Major League Player of the Year.

Oberholtzer, 24, finished his rookie season with a 4-5 record and a 2.76 ERA in 71 2/3 innings. He struck out 45, walked 13 and allowed seven home runs. He had a 2.24 ERA after joining the starting rotation on July 31, which ranked second in the AL in that span.

Cosart, 23, was 1-1 in his 10 starts with a 1.95 ERA. For the two months he was in the starting rotation (July 12- Sept. 9), Cosart's 1.95 ERA was the lowest in the AL.

The Kile Award that Corporan received is presented to the player chosen most affable with teammates, fans and the press. It's named in memory of former Astros pitcher Darryl Kile.

Goldschmidt played high school baseball at The Woodlands High School, just north of Houston, and debuted with the D-backs in 2011. He led the National League with 125 RBIs this season, while tying for the league lead in homers with 36, both career highs. Goldschmidt hit .302 with a .401 on-base percentage and a .551 slugging percentage.

Steve Perry, who has been with the Astros 34 seasons, serving 24 as visiting clubhouse manager, is the 2013 recipient of the Fred Hartman Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball Award. This award is in memory of the late Baytown newspaper man, who covered the Astros from the franchise's infancy in 1962 until his death in '91.

Perry joined the Astros as a batboy in 1979, but was promoted to an assistant in the visiting clubhouse by mid-season. He was named visiting clubhouse manager in '89. He and his wife, Jessica, and two daughters, Nicole and Amanda, live in Houston.