It’s fair to say that Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos‘ 2022 season hasn’t gone as planned.
The performance on the field hasn’t been there, as he slashed .263/.305/.389 with just 13 home runs in 558 plate appearances.
He was the Phillies’ worst-ranked player in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), with -0.7.
He got into arguments with the media and was booed by fans at some point.
During the playoffs, he has had a few timely hits, as his five RBI can attest, but the overall offensive production hasn’t been there: he is hitting .200/.250/.233 with no homers and a putrid .483 OPS in eight games.
However, we all know that Castellanos has some game-changing power if he can ever get that swing of his back.
He hit 26 homers in 2017, 23 in 2018, 27 in 2019, and 14 in just 60 games in the 2020 pandemic season.
The 2021 campaign saw him produce his finest power performance, with 34 bombs with the Cincinnati Reds.
The Phillies gave him a multi-year contract before the season hoping to add that kind of power upside to their lineup.
Castellanos Still Has The Power To Punish A Mistake Pitch
It hasn’t quite happened yet, but the slugger showed us he still has the raw power to change the outcome of a game.
Look at this second-deck shot he had at batting practice.
A little 2nd deck action from Nick Castellanos 🚀 @Phillies pic.twitter.com/IdRGNdbSHy
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 21, 2022
Raw power doesn’t really mean much if he can’t take it to official games against top pitching.
That being said, San Diego Padres’ pitching can’t blink and assume Castellanos won’t destroy a mistake pitch.
They are better off not testing him, because the consequences could be significant as both teams vie for a place in the World Series.
Every swing, every pitch, and every run counts.
Castellanos remains a talented hitter even if the 2022 results aren’t there.
