Nick Castellanos' Work With Son Caught Eye of Phillies' Skipper Rob Thomson
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Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos isn't known for much other than being a big-time power bat.
He's not the fastest guy and he's regarded as one of the worst defenders in baseball. Still, he finds himself in the lineup every night because he can swing it with the best of them when he's at the top of his game.
However, manager Rob Thomson noticed something different in Castellanos during a Spring Training game.
Thomson pulled Castellanos over to the side and applauded his secondary leads, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
The slugger thought it was hilarious, but Thomson was being serious.
Castellanos' son, Liam, is a fan favorite for Phillies fans. He's often seen at the games cheering his father on, jumping up and down whenever the star hits a home run.
Liam, according to Castellanos, is the reason for his improved secondary leads.
"The reason why my secondary leads were good was because I was working on base running and secondary leads all offseason with Liam," Castellanos said of his oldest son. "And Liam, I've been watching him. He's a better base runner than me. Like that can't happen, you know?"
If that part of the right fielder's game improves, Philadelphia fans will love him even more than they already do.
For Castellanos, this season is one where he looks to improve other areas of his game. Sure, the bat is always going to carry him, but getting better at other things can help the Phillies and grow his game.
The slugger spent much of the offseason coaching his son and even started jiu-jitsu with him. He's enjoyed jiu-jitsu and it made him realize that he has to stay relaxed and learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
Philadelphia should be in plenty of those this season as they look to make another deep postseason run.
