Philadelphia Phillies Continue Getting Inconsistency From High-Priced Batter

The Philadelphia Phillies were hoping that an offseason of work would help their slugger become more consistent, but that has not been the case so far.

Mar 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

In spring training, the Philadelphia Phillies went through their usual routine.

Nothing too out of the ordinary.

One aspect they worked on was not chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Hitting coach Kevin Long worked closely with Nick Castellanos after he struggled mightily in the National League Championship Series.

So far, the work hasn't carried over.

Castellanos has a batting average of just .150. He has no extra-base hits and has struck out seven times. He looks completely out of sync at the plate.

More distressing is that Castellanos appears to be having issues in right field. More specifically with the new scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park.

"Casty was telling me the other day that the new scoreboard is kind of – he's gotta get used to it," manager Rob Thomson said. "Because he feels like he's right on top of the scoreboard and he's not. He's got a lot more room. So might take a little time to figure that out."

The Phillies are 2-4 and on their way to face the Washington Nationals. If they're going to start winning consistently, they'll need Castellanos to start hitting. And being comfortable in right field.

Last season, his average was .272 with 29 home runs and 106 RBI. He was phenomenal in the playoffs until the NLCS with four of his five home runs coming in the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Castellanos has always been a streaky hitter.

It's time to become consistent. He knows that.

Watching these early at-bats this season shows that he's uncomfortable at the plate. He's still chasing pitches. There's no reason for any opposing pitcher to throw him a strike right now.

Long is one of the finest hitting coaches in Major League Baseball. He must figure out a way to make Castellanos more disciplined at the plate.

Philadelphia needs production from Castellanos. When they get it, they'll be a much improved team.