July 03, 2023

Nick Castellanos receives a much-deserved All-Star nod

For the 'Who Won the Week in Philly Sports' feature, the Phillies' Seattle-bound All-Star outfielder gets his recognition.

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

Nick Castellanos' 2022 season was hellacious. Fresh off signing a five-year contract worth $100 million with the Phillies, Castellanos posted his worst OPS and batting average since he was a rookie. His 2021 campaign in Cincinnati saw him belt 34 homers, pick up a Silver Slugger Award and finish 12th in NL MVP voting. Castellanos didn't resemble that player in the absolute slightest during his first season in Philly.

After turning the page to 2023, however, Castellanos has been, by far, the Phils' best player, consistently raking at the plate. On Sunday, it was announced that Castellanos had made his second ever All-Star team and his first as a Phillie. His .316 batting average is a career and his .874 OPS is way above his career rate of .809. This is the player the Phillies envisioned they were getting in the 2022 offseason.

After a great stretch at the plate and this much-deserved All-Star nod, Castellanos is my easy choice for the figure who "won the week" in the Philadelphia sports scene, my recurring Monday feature here at PhillyVoice.

On an inconsistent team that's been light on pop in 2023, Castellanos is crushing the ball. Over the last week across six games, Castellanos is hitting .346 with a Ruthian OPS of 1.154, homering three times.

In Saturday's 19-4 takedown of the Nationals, Castellanos smacked a 411-foot homer to centerfield:

411 feet or to Seattle. We'll let you decide how far this ball went#RingTheBell x @CitizensBank pic.twitter.com/V7KqYZgtJc
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2023

Castellanos also broke things open on Sunday, homering in the first inning to give the Phils a 1-0 lead on the Nats:

SEND HIM TO SEATTLE#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/bJ28MaDazE
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2023

I have a feeling this won't be the last time this season Castellanos "wins the week." How about a Home Run Derby appearance for him during the All-Star festivities? Philadelphia needs that.