Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos is hot and cold. After making history in the NLDS against the rival Atlanta Braves, he has been downright dreadful through 6.5 games vs the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Castellanos has more raw power with one hand than most MLB players have in both, but thus far in the NLCS, he's been lacking that same calling card. Castellanos is 0-for-21 with 11 strikeouts since his first at bat against Arizona, suggesting that the Diamondbacks pitching staff has him figured out.
With runners on in the early innings against Brandon Pfaadt, the Phillies had a chance to chase the rookie starter and perhaps take one step closer to another World Series appearance. Yet, Castellanos struck out again, and the Phils couldn't take advantage of a bases-loaded chance later in the fourth inning.
Keeping this intriguing Diamondbacks team in the game is not wise, especially with all the pressure on Philadelphia to close the series at home.
What's wrong with Nick Castellanos? Phillies fans pile on
There's still plenty of baseball left as of this writing, so Castellanos could prove all pundits wrong with one swing of the bat. Heck, he's done just that in both the 2022 and 2023 postseasons. For now, though, he's swinging wildly and expanding his strike zone, allowing Arizona's pitching staff to take advantage without working the count.
The Phils may win Game 7 -- your guess is as good as mine -- but Castellanos is a vital part of this powerful lineup. If he's not playing up to par, a World Series victory over the Texas Rangers is far from a given.
Those low-and-away breaking balls, especially from a pitcher like Pfaadt, are tough to lay off of for Castellanos. As the chart shows, he thrives on pitches low and on the outer half. In many ways, he is playing into Arizona's hand.
Something has to change with Castellanos, and in-game adjustments are tough to come by against Torey Lovullo and Co.
