Video: Nick Castellanos Explains How Spot in Phillies Lineup Impacts Hitting Approach

If anyone is curious about Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos' approach to hitting, it essentially boils down to see the ball and hit the ball.

Castellanos told reporters after Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Houston Astros he doesn't change his approach based on where he hits in the lineup when his goal goal is to "look for the baseball and hit it as hard as I can" because he's never "gone to the plate looking to walk."

Castellanos isn't an on-base machine, but he's not a player who is so aggressively swinging that he won't take a walk. Since his first full season in 2014, he ranks 464th out of 595 qualified hitters in walk rate (6.3 percent).

You would like to see him get on base at a higher clip, but it's hardly terrible for a player who hits for average and power.

The two-time All-Star is hitting .250 with a .421 slugging percentage and 18 homers in 132 games this season. He is right around league average in OPS+ (100) and WRC+ (99).

Philadelphia certainly expected more when Castellanos signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the club in March 2022. He's always been an erratic player throughout his career, which was one of the reasons it took so long for him to sign as a free agent two years ago.

If you need Castellanos to anchor a lineup, the results are going to be disappointing. When he can be in a lower-pressure role with a team that allows him to hit in the lower half of the order, things will be fine.

The Phillies have afforded Castellanos that opportunity because they have Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber.

Things have worked out just fine for the Phillies as constructed. They've reached the NLCS in each of the past two seasons, including a trip to the World Series in 2022. They are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in MLB (78-54).