Nick Castellanos foresees ‘less pressure’ for the Phillies this season, given media expectations

Not everyone follows his logic, but the right fielder says: “Sure, I think we have a chance. We have a good team.”

Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos fields a ball Saturday during a spring training workout in Clearwater, Fla. Read moreJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

Published Feb. 16, 2025, 4:22 p.m. ET

CLEARWATER, Fla. — To the outside world, it seems like the Phillies will carry the weight of trying to stop a three-year trend of winning more games than the season before but bowing out of the playoffs one round earlier.

But that isn’t the World According to Nick Castellanos.

Gather ‘round, then, and listen to the veteran right fielder philosophize about the season ahead, which, as he sees it, is framed by the discourse on sports-talk radio and in the media about how a 95-win season went bust with the divisional-round loss to the Mets and sweeping changes were required.

“I do think that we have less pressure as a team this year,” Castellanos said Sunday, the eve of the first full-squad workout, “especially with everything the media said about us when we lost last year. And we didn’t really go out and make any crazy changes. So, if we lose, you guys look smart, which is dope, right? But then if we win, it’s like a happy surprise.

“So, it’s kind of a freeing place to play baseball, you know what I mean?”

OK, sure. That’s one way of looking at it, even if not everyone completely follows the logic.

“Well, you can’t control what’s being said outside of here,” manager Rob Thomson said. “But I think that everybody in this clubhouse [thinks] we have a really good ballclub and a championship-caliber ballclub, so I’m not sure if the outside noise, whatever you want to call it, really affects us that much.”

Here’s another from the Tao of Nick: Nobody knows what will happen.

Castellanos, 33 next month, was pleased with his offseason training and likes the Phillies' chances with a star-laden roster that went to the playoffs three years in a row and won the NL East last season. But if you’re hunting for a prediction for another deeply red October, well, move along.

“We’ll find out if we are or we’re not [good enough],” Castellanos said. “Sure, I think we have a chance. We have a good team.”

Could it be that the Phillies' core, which has been together since 2022, hasn’t reached its full potential yet?

“Maybe. It’d be nice,” Castellanos said. “I don’t know, though. That’s like [former Indiana University basketball] Coach [Bobby] Knight, remember when they asked him questions about the future and he used a glass that was on the podium as a crystal ball? Like, I don’t know. I have no idea.”

Quick, somebody get Castellanos a Magic 8 ball.

“That would be great,” he said, smiling.

OK, here’s what Castellanos does know going into Year 4 of a five-year, $100 million contract: When the season opens March 27 in Washington, he will be back in right field — and likely the middle of the Phillies' batting order.

Castellanos' name circulated in trade rumors for a second consecutive offseason. But if he ever doubted he would be staying right where he is, it was erased with one call to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

“I just asked Dave if any of it was true, and he said no,“ Castellanos said. ”I have friends of mine that are in the media, and they’ve told me things that they’ll just make up stories to have something to talk about. I went straight to the horse’s mouth."

It’s what you do when you have yourself for an agent.

Never mind that Castellanos hired Scott Boras before getting to free agency in the 2021-22 offseason and landing a nine-figure contract. Last summer, he let the super-agent know that his services were no longer needed.

“It’s not like I’m against having an agent,“ Castellanos said. ”I just think, where it was with Scott, it was at a point where I just wanted an opportunity to speak for myself. I have no malice towards the Boras organization at all. I texted him congrats when that [Juan] Soto contract came out. He’s very good at what he does.

“But as far as now, if anything pertains to my career, I’d rather just have that conversation with my employer. I’m just more comfortable now that I don’t feel intimidated to go to anybody who is employing me to go and ask questions about my status or well-being.”

A year ago, Castellanos got off to a wretched start. He went 20 games without an extra-base hit and didn’t homer until the 27th game of the season. Through Memorial Day, he batted .198 with six homers and a .574 OPS.

But he was among the Phillies’ better, most consistent hitters after that, finishing with a .254 average, 23 homers, and a .742 OPS. And he will be expected again to be a primary right-handed power source in a lineup dominated by lefty sluggers (Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber).

Castellanos became the first Phillies player to start all 162 games since Jimmy Rollins in his 2007 MVP year. Yet he said he took only a few weeks off after the season before resuming his training.

To the outside world, the early playoff exit would serve as added fuel. But in the World According to Castellanos?

“I wouldn’t say that, ‘We ended bad, we didn’t win, so now I’m on a revenge tour to prove everybody wrong and give everybody the middle finger.' That’s not really my personality,” Castellanos said. “Baseball is hard and the Mets were hot and they beat us. I know that I personally have put in work to put myself in position to be ready to play and compete. I’m excited for the opportunity.

“That’s the only thing I can control.”