Nick Castellanos is the Lynchpin of the Phillies Lineup
About an hour outside of Las Vegas, tucked away from the glistening theatrics of Sin City, deep within the confines of Tonopah Basin, lies Yucca Flat. The closed desert drainage basin is one of the four major regions within the Nevada Test Site and has hosted some 739 nuclear tests – making it the most nuclear-blasted spot on the face of the earth. Hundreds of subsidence craters pockmark the desert floor, turning the once sandy landscape into something out of a science fiction novel.
This offseason, the Phillies have been left to deal with their own kind of nuclear fallout, after right-fielder Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery in late November. With Harper sidelined until late July at the very least, a seismic crater has opened up at the 3rd spot in the lineup. Fortunately for the Phillies, their $243 million payroll is more akin to the Federal Defense budget than the Moneyball Oakland A’s.
It all starts with Turner
While losing Harper’s presence in the lineup hurts, the addition of shortstop Trea Turner sure lessens the blow. After inking an 11-year, $300 million contract, the speedy superstar fills perhaps the team’s most immediate need: a true leadoff hitter. On Monday, it was reported that manager Rob Thomson had anointed Turner to the role, with last year’s leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber following behind in the two-hole. Turner, however, isn’t even the most exciting part of this situation. With enough speed and power to be dangerous from any position in the lineup, the leadoff is a natural fit for Turner – replacing the plodding, powerful Schwarber, who hit just .218 while slugging a National League best 46 home runs, is the logical decision. Sliding Turner to the leadoff spot simply allows the rest of the lineup to hit to their strengths. What’s intriguing, in Harper’s absence, is who bats after the Phillies’ new shortstop.
Nick Castellanos
The lynchpin of this entire scenario – and perhaps the team’s offensive production for the entire season – is Nick Castellanos. The $100 million dollar man struggled tremendously in his first season in Philadelphia, hitting just .263/.305/.389 with a meager 13 home runs and 62 RBI – far from his 2021 slash line of .309/.363/.576 with 34 home runs and 100 RBI. Despite some postseason heroics, Castellanos is not a good outfielder. Neither is his left field counterpart Schwarber. Make no mistake about it, Castellanos was brought to Philadelphia to do one thing: hit. He is the titular example of the team’s methodology for success – what they sacrifice in the field, they will more than make up for at the plate. However many runs you score, they will score more, defensive runs saved be damned.
It’s a risky model that is antithetical to sabermetric dogma. A team this lopsided shouldn’t make the postseason, much less the World Series. And yet, they did. For the team to continue their upward progression, however, Castellanos must find some version of his old self.
Here’s where he slots into the lineup.
Batting Order
Assuming that Schwarber hits 2nd, due to his high on-base percentage, Castellanos could find himself anywhere from 3rd to 6th in the batting order. The trick, however, is insulation. How can the Phillies keep every batter protected, thus allowing them to hit to their strengths?
For Castellanos, who has spent the majority of his career in the two and three spots, that protection might come from sliding higher in the batting order. Castellanos spent much of 2022 looking lost at the plate, he dove out on breaking balls in the opposing batter’s box and whiffed on fastballs in the heart of the zone. His timing was off and quite frankly, his headspace was too. Amidst the transition to a new team, moving to a new city, and the expectations that come with $100 million, he was trying to do too much. He didn’t look like himself and certainly didn’t play like it either.
If Castellanos can rediscover his fire, however, the 3rd spot in the lineup might be his to lose. In late June, he occupied the spot for roughly a month, posting one of the best stretches of his season, before sliding down to 5th in August. While the 3-hole is perhaps the most valuable spot in the order, it is not the most RBI dependent – that duty is relegated to the 4th and 5th spots. At 3rd, Castellanos would be protected by either Rhys Hoskins or J.T. Realmuto, forcing pitchers to pitch to him instead of leaving him stranded further down in the lineup. Doing so would allow Hoskins, who spent almost the entire 2022 season batting 2nd, to slide to the cleanup spot, where he’s been the most productive throughout his career. Hoskins, who has been transitioning into more and more of a decisive power hitter, to hit to his strengths.
If the Phillies were to deviate from batting Schwarber 2nd, the speedy Realmuto could occupy that spot, with Schwarber sliding to 4th and Hoskins down to 5th. Castellanos could even make an appearance in the two-hole, backed by Realmuto or potentially even a hot Alec Bohm. In short, with a hot bat, Castellanos could add a flexibility to the Phillies lineup that is unlike anything else in Major League Baseball.
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Phillies