Phillies OF Nick Castellanos possible contender for end-of-year award

Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos will be considered for a Gold Glove Award.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos has turned his season around at the plate as of late. Entering Sunday, the 30-year-old is slashing .313/.347/.521 this month with 20 singles, five doubles, five home runs, 12 RBI, four walks and 20 strikeouts spanning 25 games and 101 plate appearances.

While Castellanos’ presence at the plate is far more of a factor than June 25 — when his batting average was as low as .242, and the same game when Bryce Harper went down due to a fractured thumb — his fielding has been consistent all season. So much so, that he is a contender for a Gold Glove Award.

Among outfielders with at least 900 fielded innings this season in Major League Baseball, Castellanos (968 1/3 innings, 7 assists) is one five that has yet to commit an error. The others, according to FanGraphs, include:

• Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets: 1,019 2/3 innings, 4 assists
• Andrew Benintendi, New York Yankees: 1,006 1/3 innings, 3 assists
• Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles: 990 2/3 innings, 8 assists
• Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: 909 2/3 innings, 8 assists

Among qualified outfielders, Castellanos’ seven assists are tied for the seventh-most in the National League, trailing only Jurickson Profar (10, 3 errors); Hunter Renfroe (10, 3 errors); Starling Marte (8, 1 error); Betts (8, 0 errors); Ian Happ (8, 2 errors); and Dylan Carlson (8, 2 errors).

The statistic that will surely be the most detrimental for Castellanos’ chances to win a Gold Glove — his Major League-worst -16.5 Defensive Runs Above Average. Still, his perfect fielding percentage and seven outfield assists will at least put him in the conversation to be considered a finalist.

To date, just four different Phillies outfielders have won a Gold Glove Award — Shane Victorino (2008-10), Aaron Rowand (2007), Bobby Abreu (2005), and Garry Maddox (1975-82).

If Castellanos wins the Gold Glove, it would be the 48th overall in franchise history, and the first since catcher J.T. Realmuto in 2019. Before the “Best Catcher in Baseball’s” honor, franchise hits leader Jimmy Rollins was the franchise’s previous Gold Glove recipient back in the 2012 season.

With Castellanos in the first of his multi-year deal, a Gold Glove recognition would make the signing money well-spent for Managing Partner John Middleton — exceeding the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history. The 2019 season was also Realmuto’s first in red pinstripes. Considering Bryce Harper is a perennial MVP candidate — and Zack Wheeler is a perennial Cy Young Award candidate — the Phillies brass definitely has a good track record of star acquisitions.