A refreshed Castellanos: ‘Last year was last year’
“Last year, I was just pissed off, unhappy, frustrated,” Castellanos stated Sunday morning at BayCare Ballpark, the place he arrived in preparation for the Phillies’ first full-squad exercise Tuesday. “Baseball wasn’t fun. It was a job. I’m very lucky that I’ve never worked a day in my life. And to do something that you don’t love doing sucks. What I love doing is playing baseball with my friends and beating the team that’s not wearing the same uniform that we’re wearing. That’s the only thing that I’m worried about. Last year was last year. That’s where it stays — in last year.”
Castellanos’ path from the five-year, $100 million contract he signed in March to the World Series wasn’t a straight one.
He stated after the Phillies misplaced Game 6 of the World Series that he simply accomplished probably the most tough years of baseball in his life, and that it made him already excited for Spring Training. Castellanos slashed simply .263/.305/.389 with 13 residence runs, 62 RBIs and a career-low .694 OPS final season. He hit nicely in April, however he struggled in May. It carried into the summer time. Castellanos appeared to be lastly turning a nook late summer time — he batted .318 with an .833 OPS in 34 video games from July 25 to Sept. 2 — when he landed on the IL with a strained proper indirect and turf toe.
But there have been extra than simply on-field struggles. Perhaps nothing unnerved or upset him greater than studying on Opening Day that the placement of his new residence in South Jersey had been made public. He obtained booed at occasions, too.
“Personally, it was the hardest year,” Castellanos stated. “From a team standpoint, it was the best. I think it was just having everything move as fast as it did. I wasn’t comfortable at home. I wasn’t comfortable here. I wasn’t comfortable anywhere.”
It carried into the batter’s field.
“It’s not like the batter’s box is a separate place from the rest of your life,” he stated. “That was tough to deal with.”
Does he suppose that’s behind him?
“I don’t have any expectations, but I’m much more prepared this year than I was last year,” he stated. “I think the only thing I’m really focused on this year is being the best teammate I can be, and not coming up two wins short [of a World Series championship]. Everything else is going to fall into place. Expectations, what I’m going to do. Philly doesn’t care what Nick does. Philly cares about what the Phillies do. I’m not coming here thinking I have to be someone. I’m just coming in, ready to play. I’m going to be here for everybody and play baseball.”
“Last year was such a whirlwind,” Castellanos stated. “I’ve had time to sit back and reflect on everything. The moment the season ended last year, I could just relax and plan. It was fun. I got to go home and just get on my normal life routine with [wife] Jess, [son] Otto and [son] Liam. And just kind of take in everything that happened, from signing last year, being here — and, shoot — getting to the World Series. Falling two wins short definitely made me hungrier.”
