Nick Castellanos is not measuring up for the Philadelphia Phillies in early season play and fans know it: "He has failed miserably so far!

When the Philadelphia Phillies inked outfielder Nick Castellanos to a five-year contract worth $100 in 2022, he was expected to be one of the key offensive tenets.

Bryce Harper, who almost singlehandedly led the Phillies to the World Series last season, announced he would be out following Tommy John surgery this past offseason. With Harper's announcement, the expectations on Nick Castellanos' shoulders only multiplied.

Hitting .263/.305/.389 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs may be average numbers by MLB standards, but Castellanos' 2022 campaign represents his worst ever year.

Castellanos hit 34 home runs as recently as 2019, when he racked up a Silver Slugger as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. During the 2022 postseason, Castellanos went 12-for-58 without any home runs at all.

Unfortunately, for hopeful Philadelphia Phillies fans, Nick Castellanos appears to be declining even more, and faster, in 2023. The 31-year-old leads the MLB in strikeouts, compiling 12 of them in 25 plate appearances.

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Joe Giglio

@JoeGiglioSports

Nick Castellanos is 4-for-25 and has struck out in 48 percent of his plate appearances through the first six games of the season.

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Nick Castellanos is 4-for-25 and has struck out in 48 percent of his plate appearances through the first six games of the season.

"Nick Castellanos is 4-for-25 and has struck out in 48 percent of his plate appearances through the first six games of the season." - Joe Giglio

Phillies fans, who tasted their first World Series in over a decade last year against the Houston Astros, are running out of patience. Several took to Twitter to express their frustration at their right fielder.

J.D. - Jacob Liss

@DingersLiss

@JoeGiglioSports He gets screwed on a ton of those strikeouts, though, and he's still making adjustments. How do people not understand that a broken mental approach isn't fixed in one offseason?

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@JoeGiglioSports He gets screwed on a ton of those strikeouts, though, and he's still making adjustments. How do people not understand that a broken mental approach isn't fixed in one offseason?

A2D Radio (NoNotes)

@a2dradio

@JoeGiglioSports Not the start we were hoping for.

@JoeGiglioSports Not the start we were hoping for.

Fred abner

@arner_frank

@JoeGiglioSports Bench him

@JoeGiglioSports Bench him

The struggles of Nick Castellanos are accentuated when he is compared to his teammates. Alec Bohm, who is still under a rookie contract, is already hitting .350 this season, while fellow youngster Bryson Stott has an OPS of 1,024.

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Phillies Phreak

@Coach_Whacko

@JoeGiglioSports And guys like Stott, Bohm & Marsh are doing well but have to hit behind him in the order.

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@JoeGiglioSports And guys like Stott, Bohm & Marsh are doing well but have to hit behind him in the order.

Marcus Toomey

@toomias85

@JoeGiglioSports So a continuation of last year. Meaning nothing changed over the off-season. Got it.

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@JoeGiglioSports So a continuation of last year. Meaning nothing changed over the off-season. Got it.

In addition to Harper, the Phillies' outfield has further been neutered by the absence of Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins, who hit 30 home runs and 79 RBIs last year, is on the 60-day IL with a torn ACL.

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David Williams

@dnova261

@JoeGiglioSports He needed to step up in Rhys’s absence and he has failed miserably so far! If they lose series to the reds and marlins upcoming than it’s time to panic!

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@JoeGiglioSports He needed to step up in Rhys’s absence and he has failed miserably so far! If they lose series to the reds and marlins upcoming than it’s time to panic!

MrUnpopularOpinion

@2Legit2QuitBets

@JoeGiglioSports Yeah. Guy is a bum. Thought him and vierling were the weak links last season. Seeing he is still the same old castellanos doesnt make me feel better

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@JoeGiglioSports Yeah. Guy is a bum. Thought him and vierling were the weak links last season. Seeing he is still the same old castellanos doesnt make me feel better

The Phillies finished their mid-week series with the New York Yankees with a win and two losses, and Castellanos was unable to register a hit in any of the three contests.

Nick Castellanos must remember that the 2023 season is still in its infancy

Although Philly is a rabid fanbase, Castellanos must find a way to drown out all of the background noise and focus on his hitting. It is no secret that injuries have severely limited the team's capabilities to emulate its 2022 performances, but that does not mean that a player like Castellanos will not have his own opportunities to shine in 2023.

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