The Philadelphia Phillies finally showed what their offense is capable of this weekend.
They absolutely overwhelmed teams to start the year, producing at nearly every position in the lineup as their offense seemed like a juggernaut, fueled by elite hitters across the entire lineup.
But since the All-Star break, virtually everyone has gone through a prolonged crisis together.
Hopefully they can put those issues behind them before they begin a big seven-game home series against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves starting Monday as the Phillies try to regain the pride of when they were the best team in baseball.
The only bright spot during Philadelphia’s offensive problems was Nick Castellanos.
After a slow start to the year when the other members of the team were in top form, the 2023 All-Star quietly emerged as the Phillies’ most consistent hitter.
Since late May, when his batting average was below .200, the slugger has posted a slash line of .282/.334/.480 with 10 home runs, 33 extra-base hits and 43 RBI since early June.
Castellanos has always been known for his power, but has struggled with strikeouts and chasing throws outside the strike zone, something Philadelphia as a team wanted to work on this season after their frustrating exit from the NLCS last season.
According to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirerhis chase rate is 38.1 percent this year, which is down from 41 percent last season. He’s also batting .547 against off-speed pitches thrown his way, compared to .265 in 2023. Of course, his whiff rate on off-speed pitches has dropped to 34.4 percent from 43.4 percent last season.
“He’s spreading out, really keeping everything quiet. (His two-strike approach) has really paid off for him. His chase rate is down quite a bit. And he’s using the field, that’s his style,” manager Rob Thomson told Coffey.
Castellanos is also someone who can make a difference in the game, and as he showed in the NLDS against the Braves last season, he can make a difference in the series as well.
There were real concerns when he struggled earlier in the year, but the Phillies don’t need him to dominate opposing pitching teams in April and May.
He is on this team to help them win in October.
Hopefully Castellanos’ new hitting technique will allow him to get back to being the player he was against Atlanta and limit his poor performances from the NLCS.
