Phillies Star Outfielder "Simplifies Swing" Following Disappointing 2022 Season

He didn't play like a star last season.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos has reportedly been working with hitting coach Kevin Long over the offseason to refine his swing.

Castellanos had an extremely disappointing first season with the Phillies, hitting just 13 home runs with 62 RBIs and posting a triple-slash line of .263/.305/.389.

Compare those stats with his 2022 stats with the Cincinnati Reds, where he posted an impressive .309/.362/.576 triple-slash line, with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs over 138 games. Those are superstar-like stats.

One area that caused particular trouble for Castellanos last season was sliders, which opposing pitchers threw to him 32.0% of the time compared to 21.8% against the rest of the league.

Kevin Long, while reviewing Castellanos' film, apparently noticed that the outfielder had added multiple "extraneous movements of his bat, head, and hands," which may have contributed to him having less time to see the pitch and deciding to lay off it as it dipped out of the strike zone.

It remains to be seen whether these changes will have a positive effect, but Castellanos' willingness to work with his hitting coach to simplify his swing is a positive sign.

The Phillies signed Castellanos to a five-year, $100 million contract in May of 2022. Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports