Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) reacts after hitting a walk off game winning RBI single during the ninth inning against the New York Mets in game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
It's not entirely clear what Nick Castellanos' role will be for the Phillies when the NLDS begins Saturday. But if history is any indication, he'll perform during this round of the postseason.
In three prior postseason runs with the Phillies, Castellanos has shined in the NLDS.
During the 2022 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Castellanos was tremendous in a 7-6 Game 1 victory at Truist Park. Not only did he drive in three runs, but he made an excellent sliding catch in right field to rob William Contreras of a ninth-inning hit:
When the Phillies upset the Braves for a second consecutive season in the 2023 NLDS, Castellanos became the first player in MLB history with back-to-back multi-homer games, doing the trick in Games 3 and 4:
Castellanos' massive performance in Games 3 and 4 also gave us this incredible meme:
NICK CASTELLANOS FIRST PLAYER IN MLB HISTORY ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/Qn8zzcaZvq
Finally, while the Phillies lost in four games to the New York Mets in last season's NLDS, Castellanos was their best offensive performer. In Game 2, Castellanos followed up a Bryce Harper home run with a blast of his own, before later delivering a walk-off single in the only victory that the Phillies would put up in the series:
In total, Statmuse says that Castellanos has a .396 career batting average with 19 hits, five home runs, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored in 12 games in the NLDS. Castellanos' overall postseason numbers in his career — which include appearances with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds — are much more modest, as he's a lifetime .221 playoff hitter with a .685 OPS.
Exactly why Castellanos has been so great in the NLDS is unclear. Not everything in sports can be explained. But even if this has been a down year for Castellanos and he has an uncertain future with the team now that he's become a platoon player, it would be quite the potential final act in Philadelphia for the slugging outfielder to continue a legendary NLDS run.
