3 overreactions from the first two weeks of the Phillies' season
By Matt Grazel
Nick Castellanos is the Phillies' worst hitter
After not having the statistical year fans were expecting of him in his first year with Philadelphia in 2022, Nick Castellanos had a very good first month of the 2023 season with a .308 batting average, a .368 on-base percentage, and a .505 slugging percentage last season. The right-fielder had nine doubles, four home runs, and 17 RBI during April.
He cooled off a bit with a .265/.303/.392 slash line in May before having an exceptional offensive month during June. Castellanos had a .351/.387/.567 line, along with six doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBI. He represented the Phillies in the All-Star Game due to his solid first three months of 2023.
So far during the first two weeks of 2024, there are major concerns that Castellanos is continuing to regress. His bad play during the National League Championship Series last year against the Arizona Diamondbacks was disappointing, considering how well he did during the Division Series against the Braves.
Nick Castellanos has really struggled to start this season batting just 160. He has struck out 14 times. He was booed last night by Phillies fans. He is trying to be in a good place and be happy and he feels he is getting close. https://t.co/ZMOzD5CoWk
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 13, 2024
The Hialeah, Florida native had a slash line of .190/.266/.190 with an OPS of .456. Manager Rob Thomson should keep Castellanos at the bottom of the batting order, especially with a healthy roster. Barring games when several other regular starters are given a day off, Thomson should place him anywhere from sixth through eighth in the lineup.
The 32-year-old has demonstrated during his tenure with Philadelphia that he is far too inconsistent to be counted on at the top or the middle of the lineup regularly. He will likely not make the All-Star Game this year unless he rebounds in a big way and hits exceptionally from mid-April through May and June. Currently, that doesn't seem to be doable.
More importantly, can Castellanos turn things around to help the Phillies win a World Series? Also, is the organization stuck with his contract? If they were to try to trade him, what would they get in return? It doesn't appear like it would be very much. His contract runs through 2026, and the remainder of his time in Philly won't go well if he keeps underachieving.
On the bright side, Castellanos did have the game-winning RBI on a single in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Phillies a 4-3 win against the Pirates on Saturday. Perhaps an adrenaline-fueled moment like that will break him out of his offensive funk through the first two weeks of the season.