CLEARWATER, Fla. — Nick Castellanos’ first son, Liam, was born in August 2013. It was a busy time. Nick was a 21-year-old outfield prospect with the Detroit Tigers, and a month away from his big league debut. But despite all of that, he still felt he had time to be a dad.
He was only apart from his son for two months. After the season ended, he was able to spend his winter getting to know Liam. He learned to love the daily tasks that many would describe as mundane, like changing diapers and giving baths.
Castellanos did not have that luxury last year after signing with the Phillies as a free agent on March 22. His second son, Otto, was born in early May — two months into his first season with a new team, in a new city, following a chaotic 99-day lockout that ended abruptly.
“For me, stupid things like [changing diapers] are important,” he said. “With Liam, I was able to be there more, while I’m still getting used to this new living person. Last season, everything was fast. I always felt like I was dropping the ball somewhere with Otto.”
In that sense, this offseason has been a grounding one for Castellanos. He was able to drive Liam to school and to baseball practice. He was also able to get to know Otto, who is now 9 months old. He says it was just what he needed after a season that felt disappointing in more ways than one.
“It was nice to not have the days revolve around the season, the postseason, things like that,” he said. “The days revolved around my kids. It’s all about your priorities. When your priorities are in line, everything else falls into place. When your priorities are in line, life is a lot more simple.”
Castellanos is hoping it stays that way. When he reflects on his 2022 season, which saw his slugging percentage sink from .576 to .389, the second-lowest of his career, he sees a player in search of answers. Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long sees that, too.
At the start of the offseason, Long reviewed some of Castellanos’ film. He noticed that the right-hand-hitting right fielder kept adding parts to his swing that he didn’t need — more bat movements, head movements, hand movements, load movements. Because he was moving more, he had less time to see the ball, and made worse choices in the strike zone.
Long decided to look back at film from earlier in his career to see if this was a pattern for Castellanos. It was not.
“It happens,” Long said. “Guys think they’re helping their swing and it ended up backfiring. He doesn’t need to overcomplicate.”
“I was probably trying to do too much,” Castellanos said. “Whenever I get more movement, it’s because I’m trying too hard. That is the best way I can put it. Those swing decisions are big for me. I’ve always been an aggressive hitter, so the more times that I’m swinging at pitches in the zone, the more chance I have to do damage.”
Castellanos’ goal heading into 2023 is to simplify. After a low-key offseason, which he spent reconnecting with his family and chipping away at the feedback Long gave him, he now feels he has the headspace to do that.
“I feel good,” he said. “I was able to step away from the craziness and go back to my comfort place and go back to work. Now I want a World Series ring. Have a good time with these guys and win two more games than we did last year. That’s it.”
