Nick Castellanos Is Exactly What Philadelphia Phillies Fans Want From Their Athletes

Game 2 was a roller coaster of emotions for the relationship between Nick Castellanos and Philadelphia Phillies fans, but after he delivered the win, he's the posterchild for what this city wants from their athletes.

Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates with teammates after defeating the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

It might have just been the bottom of the sixth inning during Game 2 in a best-of-five series, but boy did it feel like every Philadelphia Phillies fan was scribbling words for the eulogy they were about to deliver for their team.

Citizens Bank Park was lifeless, stunned into silence after fans had witnessed the Phillies squander one of the best playoff pitching performances of the last five years from Zack Wheeler in Game 1, and watching the offense not put up runs the next day.

And what happens in Philadelphia when the fanbase gets frustrated?

That frustration turns into anger.

The Fox broadcast booth was quick to constantly remind everyone watching the crowd was tense, walking on eggshells when describing the mood like they were scared they might face the wrath of the fans if they stepped out of line.

Virtually all 43,000 people in attendance had the same frustrated feeling, and after watching five strikeouts and the team chasing pitches once again, some people let it out on Nick Castellanos.

In the fourth inning, the slugger waived and missed at two sliders in the dirt to set up an 0-2 count that caused some boos to rain down upon him. When he laid off the next pitch in the dirt, that same crowd gave a sarcastic cheer.

Castellanos was caught on camera saying something that appeared to be, "these [bleeping] people" while shaking his head before getting back into the batter's box to face the 1-2 pitch.

"I think you'd be deaf if you didn't hear [the boos]," Kyle Schwarber said after the game.

Vitriol can come in a hurry from fans in this city, and it just so happens they have pinpointed Castellanos as the posterchild of undisciplined swings and strikeouts that ended their chances to reach the World Series last year where they likely would have won it.

Because of that, he was who the fans let their frustrations out on despite him not being one of the five batters who struck before the fourth inning.

It takes thick skin to play for the Phillies when the expectation is Championship or Bust, and many players who have played in that environment have crumbled under the weight of expectations.

Not Castellanos.

Instead of throwing himself a pity party because the fans were being mean to him, he used the situation as fuel and delivered one of the best postseason performances in franchise history.

"We looked at each other a little bit. I clapped at him. I'm like, '[bleep] it.' It's Philly? You know what I mean? And he takes it personally. Like, Nick in the outfield, he talks to all the fans. He loves that [bleep]. He's a different breed," first base coach Paco Figueroa told Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Castellanos may have grounded out to end that at-bat where he was booed and mocked with sarcastic cheers before returning to right field on an island in front of the same fans who hurled insults at him, but that was the last time he got that response from the crowd.

The slugger was perfect for the rest of the game.

He tied things up at three in the sixth when he blasted a 425-foot no-doubter home run to left center field right after Bryce Harper had launched his own two-run moonshot to center the batter before.

Castellanos sprinted around the bases after sending the crowd into a frenzy, making everyone forget he had been booed just two innings ago.

In the eighth, with Philadelphia down 4-3, he ripped a single to right field, moving Harper over to third base with just one out.

And of course, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Castellanos produced a two-run walk-off single that scored Trea Turner from second and evened up the NLDS after it looked like the Phillies might head to New York in a 2-0 hole.

He ran over to where his son, Liam, was seated behind home plate and shared a moment with him, finding him in the crowd of people who were cheering for the star slugger after they couldn't hide their frustrations with him just hours before.

Castellanos stood tall, not crumbling under the weight of pressure that was placed upon him.

That's exactly what Philadelphia wants from their athletes.

They want someone who cares just as much as they do, someone who understands their tough love can get a little rough around the edges, and someone who can deliver when it matters most so everyone considers their team the best just like they do.

And that's what he did on Sunday.

Castellanos is uniquely built to handle the situation that was thrown at him during the fourth inning of the game and beyond.

"Nick doesn’t get bothered by much. I don't know if he took [the boos] personally but, you know what? He came up big for us. He's always looking forward to that next at-bat or that next play in the field or whatever it is. That's a huge quality, especially in the postseason," Schwarber said.

His teammates and coaches know the type of player he is, even when he does swing at the head-scratching pitches and goes through prolonged slumps.

"This is why he's still a [bleeping] really good player," Figueroa said to Gelb.

On Sunday, Phillies fans were reminded of that as well.