Nick Castellanos
All players will have their hot and cold streaks throughout a baseball season. However, some players vary greatly between how well and how poorly they are performing due to their streakiness. Outfielder Nick Castellanos' performance as a hitter is an example of that. He was arguably the biggest difference maker in the four-game Division Series versus the Braves last year before he struggled against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the National League Championship Series.
His slash line at the start of the NLDS was .250/.250/.500 and it increased to .391/.440/1.000 at the end of the series. Castellanos excelled by going 7-for-15 with four home runs, four RBI, and only one strikeout. By the end of the NLCS, it was .213/.269/.574. He went 1-for-24 with one home run, two RBI, and 11 strikeouts during the seven-game series.
Nick Castellanos chase rate
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) April 4, 2024
2023 -- 41.0%
2024 -- 40%
Trea Turner chase rate
2023 -- 35.3%
2024 -- 20.9%
Small sample size (6 games into season)#Phillies
After seven games, Castellanos has a .125/.276/.125 slash line with a .401 OPS and two RBI. His eight strikeouts are tied for second on the club. His wOBA is at a career-low of .215 in 29 plate appearances and 24 at-bats through the first week of the regular season, according to FanGraphs. The 32-year-old's woBA is far below the league average of .318.
While taking into account it is the beginning of April, the right fielder is more suited to hit near the bottom of the batting order, especially when the roster is healthy. Defensively, Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas provide more confidence than Castellanos. It's difficult for the Phillies to count on him as one of the top contributors to the team due to his erratic tendencies at the plate.