Nick Castellanos is no longer trying to be something he’s not at the plate – NBC Sports Philadelphia

MIAMI — Slowly but surely, Nick Castellanos is feeling like himself again. It may already be here, with results finally showing up consistently over the past couple of weeks.

Castellanos homered on the first pitch he saw in his hometown Friday night, launching a solo shot to right-center field off left-hander Trevor Rogers in an eventual 8-2 Phillies victory.

He reacted the same way he did last Monday in Anaheim, when he hit in a nearly identical spot and pointed his finger toward right center in celebration.

When he’s doing well, Castellanos’ success and boldness are like a flash of lightning in the Phillies dugout. It’s not hard to see the positive energy this creates.

And he’s at his best when he’s hitting the ball with authority the other way. This has always been Castellanos’ calling card.

Often, when a player collapses, there is no specific reason or hard evidence. Castellanos’ situation in April looks a little different. He became obsessed with staying in the strike zone and focusing on particular spots. He moved away from his strengths. He wasn’t the Nick Castellanos who fought his way to the major leagues, to a $100 million contract and to two All-Star teams.

“Someone who was more patient and selective,” he said of who he was trying to become at 32. “Someone who was looking for that pitch in that count, and that pitcher does it. And a lot of the freedom I would have from attacking the baseball is gone because my mind was working way too fast.

“I just feel like my swings are looser, freer. I don’t worry so much about chasing or being so hard on myself trying to have a plan. Go for it without thoughts and just swing. See the ball, hit the ball.

The main reason for the Phillies’ collapse in the 2023 NLCS was the constant expansion of the strike zone. The Diamondbacks realized that so many Phils hitters were trying too aggressively to force their way to the World Series that they stopped getting into the strike zone. The Phillies were unable to adjust, whiffing and weakly putting pitchers’ pitches into play.

Castellanos wasn’t the only player to overextend himself in the Arizona series, but he stood out more than most because A) he’s always aggressive, and B) he’s frequently attacked in the same way. way with low and far breaking balls.

“In my entire career, I never had a plan, I never looked for land,” he said. “Basically, the game is glorified batting practice. That’s when I’ve always been at my best. I think I really tried to be something that I wasn’t at start of the season and I was a little screwed up, but I’m getting through it.”

Castellanos is 8-for-23 with three doubles, a home run, four RBIs and two walks during a six-game hitting streak. Over the past 14 days, he has hit .265/.333/.510. It’s reasonable that Castellanos could implement this kind of slash line for the rest of the season, and if he does, it would be an important development for the Phillies. That would be welcome production after hitting .214/.259/.376 in his final 75 games last season and first 30 this season.

The Phillies have already built a nice cushion at 27-12, but could especially benefit from a hot streak from Castellanos right now with Trea Turner sidelined at least another month with a hamstring strain and Kyle Schwarber daily with back pain.

“It’s not like an instant,” Castellanos said when asked if he decided his old method worked better. “It’s a bit like ice, it melts.”