Calls Mount for Phillies to Make Nick Castellanos Move as Unfortunate Fact Surfaces

Calls Mount for Phillies to Make Nick Castellanos Move as Unfortunate Fact Surfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Philadelphia Phillies hold a commanding five-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East but must remain focused for the remainder of the season if they intend on capturing the division title.

Philadelphia has won seven of its last ten games, yet the offense has been inconsistent—partially due to Nick Castellanos and his recent struggles.

The 33-year-old right fielder has struggled to provide any production, highlighted during Tuesday’s 6–1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in which he struck out in his final two at-bats.

Castellanos has especially struggled since the All-Star Break, and an unfortunate stat surfaced showing he has been the worst player by fWAR during that stretch.

His slash line sits at .195/.224/.317 with -0.6 fWAR, one home run, three doubles, 21 strikeouts, and three walks.

According to Fangraphs, Nick Castellanos is last in fWAR since the All Star Break.

.195/.224/.317, -0.6 fWAR, 1 HR, 3 doubles, 21 Ks, 3 BBshttps://t.co/yQPHwKR3N6

— John Stolnis (@JohnStolnis) August 13, 2025

Phillies Fans React to Nick Castellanos’ Struggles

The stat fWAR is a sabermetric metric that attempts to quantify a player's overall contribution to a team in terms of wins, comparing them to a "replacement-level" player—meaning Castellanos has provided the least value of any player in MLB over that span.

Upon learning the extent of Castellanos’ struggles, Phillies fans began calling for his removal from the lineup/team.

"He is liability now. So overrated as a player, he has not produced like the Phillies need. Hopefully he is dealt away this coming off season," said a fan.

Another added, "Nick needs to sit down for about a week. His at bats are brutal. Either popping out to 2nd base or striking out.

"He’s holding the entire team back," wrote one fan.

"And yet he still hits 4th or 5th. What is Topper afraid of? Drop the oaf until he figures it out, or platoon him; he has no longer earned a protected spot in the lineup," said another.

One more wrote, "If we are being honest Nick Castellanos should be at best in a platoon. The Phillies are actively worse with him on the field."

Phillies Have Depth to Cover for Slumping Castellanos in Right Field

The Phillies have options to replace Castellanos in right field if manager Rob Thomson decides to make a change. Newly acquired Harrison Bader could be a potential right-handed option, along with left-handed bats Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh, who could be slotted in against tougher right-handed pitching.

Castellanos has appeared in 116 of the team’s 119 games, with most starts coming in the middle of the lineup. His overall numbers are not as poor as his recent stretch, posting a .258 batting average, .713 OPS, and 15 home runs in his age-33 season.

Castellanos has played for the Phillies since the 2022 season and earned an All-Star selection after an exceptional 2023 campaign. He signed a five-year, $100 million contract before the 2022 season and has one year remaining after 2025.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.