Inside The Phillies

Phillies Slugger One of the Least Clutch Players in Baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies have a slugger who has struggled when the team needed him most.
Kenneth Teape|
Jun 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) hits an RBI double against the New York Mets in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Jun 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) hits an RBI double against the New York Mets in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have cemented their status as one of the best teams in baseball despite a few obstacles that have had to be overcome.

Their bullpen has been an issue throughout the season, becoming an even bigger need when closer Jose Alvarado received an 80-game suspension.

Acquiring a high-leverage arm ahead of the deadline is certainly atop the team’s to-do list, along with finding some help in the outfield.

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Brandon Marsh’s remergence has been great to see, but the team could still use help in left field, where Max Kepler has been slightly underwhelming.

Someone who can handle playing in right field is worth keeping tabs on as well, because Nick Castellanos is a major negative for the team defensively.

His numbers at the plate this year are strong with a .285/.326/.443 slash line, hitting eight home runs with 21 doubles, one triple and 41 RBI as a key run producer near the middle of the team’s lineup.

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An OPS+ of 109 is fourth best on the team, as he gets the job done more often than not at the plate.

However, there is one area of his offensive game that is severely lacking.

As shared by Thomas Nestico on X, Castellanos is one of the least clutch performers in the MLB.

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His -1.46 “clutch” score is the second lowest in baseball behind only Juan Soto of the New York Mets, who has a score of -1.88.

There is a lot of volatility with the stat and it isn’t predictive. It only takes into consideration what has been done thus far. So, a turnaround could certainly occur in the second half of the season.

But, to this point of the campaign, Castellanos has not risen to the occasion when the team has needed him most, routinely falling short in high-leverage situations.

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Luckily for the Phillies, he is the only player who made the Top 20, as everyone else has been able to perform up to standard in clutch situations when the time comes.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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