Nick Castellanos took a step back from his 2021 All-Star season with the Cincinnati Reds, but the outfielder is poised for a major bounce-back year in 2023.

MLB.com: Nick Castellanos is poised for a bounce-back year

“That the Phillies nearly won it all with Castellanos posting a .694 OPS in the regular season is quite something. When he reached a five-year, $100 million deal with Philadelphia last offseason, Castellanos joined a lineup featuring then-reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper and, very soon thereafter, another free-agent slugger, Kyle Schwarber. While the defense would certainly be a question mark in the outfield, the potential for fireworks at the plate was big.

While Harper had another fantastic year in spite of injuries, and Schwarber led the NL with 46 homers, Castellanos never truly got going offensively. That is going to have to change in 2023, particularly because the defending NL champions will be without Harper for at least the first half of the season (recovery from Tommy John surgery).

While his overall numbers for the regular season weren’t great, there were some encouraging signs for Castellanos before an oblique injury caused him to miss most of September — from July 2-Aug. 27, he hit .303/.327/.431. Prior to that, he was slowed by a wrist injury, posting a .674 OPS through 75 games. His bat didn’t wake up in the postseason (.478 OPS in 17 games), but he did manage to contribute with his defense.

Much like others on this list, if he can stay in the lineup at full strength, Castellanos should return to his All-Star form from 2021 with Cincinnati.“

Read the full article from MLB.com here >>

Nick Castellanos showed signs of life in his first season with the Phillies, and although his numbers weren’t anywhere they should be for being a caliber of a player like he is, the 2023 season will be a big year for Castellanos.

Nick Castellanos showed his defensive ability all throughout the playoffs and had some underrated moments at the plate for the Phillies throughout their magical playoff run. A hand injury played a big effect on Nick’s season, after being hit in the hand after getting off to a .300/.374/.475 starts in April. Nick Castellanos still provided the team with 130+ hits, and when the power returns for the slugger in 2023, the Phillies will have the best and most dangerous lineup in all of baseball.

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