The vibes are high on the Philadelphia Phillies just seven games into the 2025 campaign. A near league-best 6-1 record is everything this club could hope for to kick off another postseason chase. Their sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Thursday while debuting the powder blue uniforms set them up perfectly to take down the undefeated Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener on Friday in a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The Phillies are poised for another deep playoff run and know that they have to be the best version of themselves if they want to be World Series champions. Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos has carved out a nice spot for himself on the team. He may not have completely fulfilled the $100 million contract he signed for, but he has shown an ability to carry the offense.
Castellanos hasn't had the best luck at the plate in his time in Philadelphia, but has noticeably put in an effort to maximize his at-bats in 2025.
Phillies' Nick Castellanos not getting enough love for early season plate approach
Castellanos, for better or worse, has deemed himself as one of the more free-swingers in the sport. As he's described before, thought is limited when it comes to hitting, and he tries his best to hit the pitch he likes.
Castellanos has shown signs of increased patience at the plate in the past, and now looks to apply that in 2025. He's doing something that fans may not even be aware of. The Phillies struck out 19 times on Opening Day, but still have the third-fewest strikeouts in the NL with 53. Castellanos has been a major catalyst for the change.
Castellanos comes into Saturday's action with only three strikeouts on the season. According to Statcast, he's sitting at a 10.7 percent strikeout rate, along with a 14.3 percent walk rate. Both would be career bests. He's never had a strikeout rate below 20 percent in any qualified season, and never walked at an eight percent clip or higher.
Seven games is a small sample size, but the change is stark, especially with his 26 percent chase rate being 11.7 points lower than 2024 (37.7 percent). Castellanos is also swinging at an aggressive 80.8 percent clip inside the strike zone. That would also be a career high. The numbers are better, but the optics of it paint the picture of the work he's put in.
Castellanos has gone under the radar so far because he hasn't slugged his way onto the scene just yet, but physically looks ready to battle. When he's on and laser focused, it can be a thing of beauty to watch. The flailing at pitches feet outside the zone is a thorn in Phillies fans' sides, so an abrupt change to that outcome will be warmly welcomed and pave the way for a newer version of Castellanos this season.