Philadelphia Phillies Star Has Quietly Put Together Solid Year Despite Criticism

After a slow star to the year, one of the Philadelphia Phillies stars is quietly heating up at the right time.

Aug 22, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) runs to first base after hitting a ground ball against Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park / Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies finally showcased what their offense is capable of doing over the weekend.

During the early part of the year, they were absolutely smashing teams. They got production from just about every spot in the lineup, as their offense looked like a complete juggernaut filled with elite hitters up and down the order.

But since the All-Star break, virtually everyone has gone through a prolonged slump together.

Hopefully they are able to put those issues behind them heading into a massive seven-game homestand against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves starting Monday as the Phillies try to get their swagger back from when they were the best team in baseball.

The lone bright spot during Philadelphia's offensive woes has been Nick Castellanos.

After starting the year out slow when other members of this team were red-hot, the 2023 All-Star was quietly worked his way into being the most consistent hitter on the Phillies.

Since the latter part of May when his batting average was under .200, the slugger has produced a slash line of .282/.334/.480 with 10 homers, 33 extra-base hits and 43 RBI since the start of June.

Always known for his ability to hit, Castellanos has struggled with strikeouts and chasing pitches out of the strike zone, something Philadelphia was looking to work on as a team this season following their frustrating elimination from the NLCS last season.

Per Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, his chase rate is 38.1 percent this year, which is down from 41 percent last campaign. He's also slugging .547 against off-speed pitches thrown his way, compared to .265 in 2023. Naturally, his whiff rate facing off-speed is down from 43.4 percent last season, to 34.4 percent.

"He spreads out, really keeps everything quiet. [His two-strike approach] has really paid off for him. His chase rate has gone down quite a bit. And he's using the field, and that's who he is," manager Rob Thomson told Coffey.

Castellanos is also someone who can be a gamechanger, and as he showed against the Braves in the NLDS last season, a series-changer.

There was real concern when he was struggling at the beginning of the year, but the Phillies don't need him to be dominating opposing pitching staffs in April and May.

He's on this team to help them win in October.

Hopefully, Castellanos' new hitting approach allows him to be the player he was against Atlanta and limit the poor performances he had in the NLCS.