Castellanos on a mission as Phillies chase WS ring

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Nick Castellanos finished taping up a bat handle for his son Liam on Saturday, and then he started answering questions about everything from in-season improvements to fast starts to postseason expectations.

The World Series came up a few times.

“When you’re really good, expectations are big,” Castellanos said, reclining in front of his locker at BayCare Ballpark. “For example, before I took my first swing of the year, I’ve already been asked questions about the World Series. When I’m with the Reds or Tigers, they’re just wondering who’s going to be able to make the team. ‘How do you feel about your chances of competing in the division if this person stays healthy and that person is the best version of himself?’ I haven’t gotten dressed yet, and we’re talking about the World Series. But that’s a good thing.”

It means the Phillies are in the conversation to win a championship, whether they had a quiet offseason or not. They got to Game 6 of the 2022 World Series. They got to Game 7 of the 2023 NLCS. They will return almost entirely the same roster this year, other than Whit Merrifield, who agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal on Friday.

If the Phillies want to win it all, they’ll need the players they’ve already got to be a little better.

“I’ve thought a lot about how the season ended,” Castellanos said. “Last year sucked. There’s no way around that. But you can use that as fuel.”

They’ve talked about it. Zack Wheeler said he wants to throw a better changeup to give hitters another thing to think about. Kyle Schwarber said he wants to hit the ball the opposite way frequently after seeing a career-high pull rate last year. Alec Bohm said he wants to improve his angle, range and first step at third base.

Castellanos?

“I want to be much better with two strikes,” he said. “Punching out 180 times is way too much.”

Castellanos had a wild 2023. He batted .272 with 29 home runs, 106 RBIs, a .788 OPS and 112 OPS+. He made the NL All-Star team, mixing in really hot stretches with really cold ones. He batted .370 with five home runs, six RBIs, two walks, four strikeouts and a 1.414 OPS in the Phillies’ first seven postseason games, giving the Braves nightmares in the NLDS. But he finished 0-for-20 with one RBI, two walks, 10 strikeouts and a .087 OPS in his final six.

The hope is a more consistent two-strike approach makes the valleys not as deep.

“I think it’s being OK with getting less,” Castellanos said. “Just being able to take what the game gives me. Do less almost.”

But what does that mean exactly? Castellanos thought about it.

“It’s being OK with the ball not going way over the fence,” he said.

A teammate chuckled when he heard that.

In other words, a homer that lands in the first row in right field counts just as much as a homer that lands in the 30th row in left. Or a bloop single to right is infinitely better than a strikeout.

“No doubt,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos struck out a career-high 185 times in 2023. His chase rate (41.0 percent) ranked among the highest in baseball. Like Schwarber, he also saw a career-high pull percentage (46.5 percent).

“I was just really unhappy with how much I struck out,” Castellanos said. “I thought I could’ve been a lot better with guys in scoring position. I was inconsistent. I think it’s like Kyle says. It’s setting your sights the other way. It’s allowing yourself to get jammed, letting the ball get deep.”

A little more consistency could go a long way. So could a better start. The Phillies have started each of the past two seasons very slowly, only to catch fire to make the postseason.

“I think we’re going to come out of the gates pretty hot,” Castellanos said. “And that’s only because everybody here is really comfortable. We didn’t add or subtract. Nobody is getting used to the city of Philadelphia. Nobody is getting used to a new environment. All of our main pieces, where’s the transition? I think we’re in a place to be playing relaxed baseball from the jump.”

And this time, perhaps they will finish the job.

“Patience is really important in the game of baseball, and winning is very difficult,” Castellanos said. “Team camaraderie and the things that outside people aren’t privy to, it’s really good in here. Baseball is hard, winning is hard. I think the more that this group stays together and we get to experience all the emotions of pursuing the World Series, I love the fact that we have all the same guys coming back.”