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Don’t Be Mad at Nick Castellanos for Being Nick Castellanos
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in an 0-2 NLDS hole and frustrations are evident. For the second consecutive season, the Phillies look to be on the pathway to elimination in their first playoff matchup and the quest to get over the World Series hump seems more elusive than ever before. It’s impossible not to reflect and think back to the 2022 World Series loss to the Houston Astros and 2023 NLCS loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks as the best chance at winning a ring.
But the task remains at hand and the Phillies still have one more game to lose before the daunting reality of facing what is next will fully hit them. In the meantime, it has been Nick Castellanos causing social media waves with some perceived criticism of the fan base following the Game 2 loss:
This perceived dig at the Phillies fan base (expectedly) ruffled some feathers and provided the angry mob with a direct target.
We could get lost in the cause/effect debate of the fans reactions and the level of play on the field but that is mostly beside the point. This is just Nick Castellanos being Nick Castellanos.
He has a way with words that has encapsulated the fan base since before he took this field. Casty has a knack for his blunt tone and poetic quotes that have provided some gems in the press rooms. Let’s not forget this is the same guy who told reporters, “I don’t have a college degree, I hit baseballs,” in his introductory press conference with the Phillies. He also named Scooby-Do as his favorite superhero, has stated he would put severe punishments on organizations that fail to win for extended periods of time if he was MLB commissioner, and has plenty of other gems worth checking out.
When things are going well, these are funny quotes that come off in great taste. When things are not going well, it tends to be the low-hanging fruit that frustrated fans can cling to. This current period of time certainly fits the latter.
It’s no secret that it has not been an ideal season for Castellanos. He posted slash lines of .250/.294/.400 in the regular season, which were each the lowest marks of his Phillies tenure, and posted an OPS below .700 for the first time in his career (minimum 12 games played). The arrival of Harrison Bader shook up the outfield and Castellanos became the odd man out in the second half of the season. This is a significant adjustment for a guy who played all 162 games last season and with two All-Star appearances under his belt.
This is not to excuse the lack of production, as this should be all that players are really judged on. But speaking of production, Castellanos should be among the last players blamed for the series hole they sit in. He failed to register a hit and grounded out twice after coming in for Bader in Game 1, one of which resulted in a double play and the other moving a runner to third. Then, in Game 2, he delivered with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning to provide the Phillies offense with the only real spark they’ve seen all series:
The bunt heard round the world followed immediately after. While Castellanos was thrown out at third, it is impossible to place him at the top of the blame list here:
Questions about why you’re bunting with no outs and a runner on second should be directed at Rob Thomson. The outlook was made worse by the Phillies manager telling reporters they were essentially playing for the tie following the game and prepared to push it to extra innings at home. There also should at least be questions about why Castellanos remained in as the runner if this was the game plan, given his limitations on the base path. The lack of available bodies at this stage of the game is a fair pushback, but also should have weighed into Thomson’s decision. There also should be criticism directed at Bryson Stott for going along with the game plan after failing to get down a bunt on the first pitch and getting a look at the Dodgers’ wheel play.
It also should not be forgotten in last season’s lifeless playoff exit, Castellanos was the most consistent bat on the team. He posted a .412 batting average and 1.059 OPS, recording seven hits in 17 at-bats. The 33-year-old led the Phillies in batting average and total bases, with only Bryce Harper posting a higher OPS.
The book is out on who Nick Castellanos is as a baseball player at this stage of his 13-year career. He will do some frustrating things, such as chase a down and away slider, swing at seemingly every first pitch, and fail to cover the desired ground in the outfield. But he gives you everything he has, every single night, and that should be all Phillies fans can really ask for. Castellanos has never been a guy accused of dogging it or giving a lack of effort. He joined the On Base with Mookie Betts podcast a few weeks ago and alluded to a knee issue that has bothered him this year that he has not made a story either. The biggest noise that was made this season was frustration with not playing more, which I also have a hard time being critical of in an athlete.
Nick Castellanos is not a perfect baseball player. But he wasn’t when the Phillies signed him and he has held up his end of the bargain far more often than he is given credit during his tenure in Philadelphia. If fans are more fired up over a quote about the environment the team is playing in, rather than the top four of the Phillies lineup going 3-for-27 at the plate with 11 strikeouts and zero extra base hits, we have entirely lost the plot.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.