Philadelphia Phillies Struggling Slugger Viewed As Bounce Back Candidate

The Philadelphia Phillies desperately need one of their sluggers to return to form, and there's a good chance he could do that this summer.

May 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) reacts after hitting a double during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being the best team in the National League, there are still areas on this Philadelphia Phillies roster that have underperformed.

While that makes them much scarier considering their ceiling hasn't been reached yet, it's also a sign there are still things that could come back to bite them in the playoffs just like the previous two seasons.

Outfield is been an area that has been highlighted as a potential problem area throughout the year.

Johan Rojas was just sent down to Triple-A because of his struggles, and Nick Castellanos has not been able to perform at the All-Star level like he did in 2023.

Without the high-priced slugger producing from his spot in the lineup, there isn't a whole lot of value he provides on the field as he's a below-average defender with a -0.5 defensive bWAR through 72 games this season.

The only way that setup works is if Castellanos is hitting at a high level.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report is still holding out hope that will happen, listing the 32-year-old as one of his bounce back candidates for the rest of the season.

"The two-time All-Star's work ethic can't be questioned, as he regularly does extra hitting work on the field prior to Phillies games. That alone doesn't guarantee he'll heat up, but after posting just a .501 OPS in April, he's got an OPS over .800 through the first half of June," he notes.

That's a great sign for the Phillies.

Castellanos was a major reason for their upset over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series, and despite the lowlights of what occurred in the NLCS, it's clear he can provide an impact bat if he is on.

Getting him to that point has been the issue in 2024.

Hopefully, he's able to use these summer months to find his swing and carry that with him through the remainder of the year and the entirety of the playoffs.