Nick Castellanos’ bounce back year is All-Star worthy
It was one of the biggest talking points of the Phillies offseason.
“Imagine what this team could do if Nick Castellanos had a bounce back season.”
Well, that dream quickly turned into a necessity when Rhys Hoskins went down with an ACL injury in spring training and the remaining core of Phillies veterans all had disappointing starts to the season.
Castellanos, a year removed from the most difficult year in his baseball life, stepped up and he’s being rewarded for it.
He’s parlayed an incredible bounce back into his second-career All-Star nod.
Castellanos was named to the 2023 National League All-Star team as a reserve in the outfield late Sunday afternoon. Castellanos’ mother Michelle broke the news on Twitter. He’s the only Phillies player heading to Seattle for the Midsummer Classic for now. As the defending National League champions, Rob Thomson and the Phillies coaching staff have the honor of coaching the NL team.
“I was happy, [It’s] gratifying,” Castellanos said when asked what his reaction was when he found out the news. “It was really cool to see just how happy everybody else was for me. The coaching staff, my teammates and everything. Just all the embraces is something that meant a lot.”
He’ll join Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Juan Soto as NL outfield reserves. Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts and Corbin Carroll will start in the outfield for the National League.
Castellanos was one of the worst players in baseball last year, but he’s turned it around in a big way in 2023. He owns a .316/.358/.516 slash line with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. His .316 batting average is fourth-best in baseball. He’s been the most consistent hitter in the Phillies lineup.
His success has been all about comfort, something he’s said all throughout this year.
“It has everything to do with my success,” Castellanos said. “Last year, I wasn’t comfortable or relaxed in any part of my surroundings. Also building relationships with all my coworkers, the city, the media. I didn’t really have a grasp on all of it. I’m somebody that everything is connected, right? So if I don’t have peace in any of those relationships, how am I going to have it in the box?”
Phillies fans were left to wonder if Castellanos would ever live up to the five-year, $100 million deal he signed with the Phillies prior to 2022. His first-half performance has silenced the doubters.
Internally, the Phillies believed that Castellanos had what it takes to figure it out. Castellanos is appreciative of that.
“We have not only a veteran coaching staff, but a veteran front office,” Castellanos said. “They are very familiar with the ups and downs and the trials and tribulations of baseball. It’s just a credit to [Rob Thomson] and Mr. Dombrowski and their wisdom. They know that with individuals, if you put the time in, the coin flips.”
It’s Castellanos’ first All-Star appearance since 2021. He took the whole family, including his now nine-year-old son Liam, to Denver that year. This time, however, the family is going to have a tough decision to make. Liam has a pretty important baseball tournament the week of the All-Star break.
“He’s been to an All-Star Game before and he’s never played in a sleep away tournament,” Castellanos said. “It should be an interesting conversation.”
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