Phillies outfielder snubbed in All-MLB Team nominations
A whole barrage of Phillies made the shortlist, but not two-time All-Star Nick Castellanos.
When the MLB came out with the nominees for the 2024 All-MLB Team a couple of weeks ago, the Philadelphia Phillies had great representation with nine total nominees. Among them most notably of course were Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler at their respective positions.
However, there was one Phillie who had some solid credentials for the 2024 season that was surprisingly left off the list: outfielder Nick Castellanos.
Phillies outfielder snubbed in All-MLB Team nominations
There’s no doubt Castellanos had a horrendous start to the year, after hitting less than .200 with just two home runs and nine RBI in the first month of the season. However, he made up some tremendous ground the rest of the way and ended up posting some strong numbers by the end of the year.
Among MLB outfielders, Castellanos ranked among the best, finishing 14th in runs scored (80), 10th in hits (154), 13th in doubles (30), 14th in home runs (23) and ninth in RBI (86) when all was said and done.
But among the 17 nominees for outfielders for the All-MLB Team, Castellanos was painfully snubbed as he was nowhere to be found. Obviously, against candidates like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, Castellanos’ production numbers were quite a distance away in comparison.
But for players such as Tyler O’Neill, Seiya Suzuki, and even Daulton Varsho, who happened to make the list, Castellanos could actually go toe-to-toe against them or, in some cases, should have beaten them easily. Perhaps the criteria focused on specific category strengths, with O’Neill and his 30+ home runs, Suzuki and his high average and stolen bases, and Varsho with his elite defense.
Nevertheless, Castellanos should have at least made the shortlist with his comparable offensive numbers, in particular being among the top 10 for outfielders in RBI.
Voting is now closed and winners will be announced on MLB Network on Thursday, Nov. 14, on the All-MLB Team Show presented by MGM Rewards.
As for Castellanos, at least there's some consolation in that he has one fellow teammate who also joined him on the outside looking in. That teammate is three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glover J.T. Realmuto. Hopefully, the other nine Phillies’ nominees have some better luck in the final results when they are revealed in a month’s time.