Phillies Veteran Outfielder Has Been Detriment to Team Finding Success on the Field

This Philadelphia Phillies outfielder isn't helping the team win games with his production.

Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies had been doing a great job of extending their lead in the National League East over the last few weeks.

They held a lead as big as seven games in the division, but have ran into some obstacles recently. The loss of ace Zack Wheeler is going to hurt regardless of how deep their starting rotation is. Their rivals, the New York Mets, are also catching fire. They have protected home turf, defeating the Phillies in the first two games of their current series.

With their lead down to five games heading into their series finale on Wednesday evening, Philadelphia has to figure out a way to stop the bleeding. Shaking up the lineup is certainly a possibility. One player who could be on the chopping block when it comes to playing time is Nick Castellanos.

Nick Castellanos Not Helping Phillies Win Games

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The slugging right fielder got off to a wonderful start this year. He was showing impressive improvements with his pitch selection and strike zone recognition. His production was at a nice level, but things have regressed in recent weeks well beyond the mean.

As shared by Thomas Nestico on X, Castellanso has experienced one of the steepest dropoffs in production around the MLB in the second half. Before the All-Star break, he had a respectable OPS of .751. Since returning from the break, his OPS is a .583.

1st Half vs 2nd Half OPS Fallers pic.twitter.com/XQbqULoXj3

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 26, 2025

That is the 19th largest drop in the league, becoming a liability for the team in the lineup. If he isn’t producing with the bat, his impact on the team is virtually nonexistent. He is in the midst of what could end up being his least productive season of his career at the plate.

Castellanos has an OPS+ of 92, which would be a single-season low since becoming an MLB regular. A .707 OPS is on pace to be the third lowest mark in his career. 16 home runs and 25 doubles to go along with 61 RBI are certainly solid, but they aren’t enough to buoy his performance, currently producing well below replacement level.

Win Probability Added Leaders - Best & Worst pic.twitter.com/sMOwFEa8WF

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 26, 2025

His bWAR is -1.0, which would be a single season low as well. When he isn’t producing at the plate, it is hard to justify giving him regular playing time because of how little he impacts the game elsewhere. Also shared by Nestico on X, Castellanos has the second worst Runs Probability Added through Aug. 25 with -2.82. Only Matt McLain of the Cincinnati Reds is worse at -3.30.

His Baserunning Run Value is -2 and in the 16th percentile. A strong argument could be made that he is the worst defender in baseball, with his Defensive Run Value of -13 being in the first percentile. If he doesn’t start heating up at the plate, Castellanos is going to be joining Thomson on the bench a lot more often down the stretch.