Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
In the first game of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 2023 MLB postseason run, in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Phillies up 1-0 on the Miami Marlins, Nick Castellanos belted a double. When he reached second base, he dusted himself off, pausing to look into the home dugout — and proudly displayed a single batting-gloved finger on his right hand to his teammates cheering back at him.
Social media exploded, and even his own team’s dugout was confused: Was the Phillies’ right fielder flipping off his teammates from the middle of the diamond at Citizens Bank Park?
Castellanos later said that it was his ring finger he was waving in the air and that the gesture signified he wants a World Series ring to put on that finger, but for his teammates, this was just the latest case of Nick being Nick. This kind of thing is exactly what they’ve come to expect during his two years in Philadelphia. Ask anyone who shares a clubhouse with Castellanos what makes him tick and the inevitable smirk appears on that person’s face. He’s different, they say. But in a good way.
Shortstop Trea Turner put it simply: “He’s one of one.”
“I don’t know if I’ve met anybody like him,” Turner said recently. “He’s different. And he can really, really hit. It’s cool seeing him just do his thing. And regardless of what people think about him, he’s just his own person. So I love him and respect him for that.”
After a down year in 2022, Castellanos has burst onto the national scene during these playoffs. And it’s not just his National League-leading five home runs this postseason for a team that will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in an all-or-nothing Game 7 of the NL Championship Series on Tuesday night.
Beyond his play on the field and penchant for an attention-grabbing quote or celebration, his endearing relationship with his 10-year-old son, Liam, has also produced heartwarming social media moments that have helped make Castellanos a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
“Every day, being part of this team and getting to understand this city and being able to [spend time] with Liam, I’m loving my space here,” Castellanos told ESPN.
Philadelphia has become a home, something for which the 31-year-old has been “searching” for a long time.
Castellanos was taken No. 44 overall in the 2010 draft by the Tigers, and he flourished at the plate as a doubles machine in spacious Comerica Park. But in his six years in Detroit, he made the postseason only once, in his rookie year, and for the latter part of his stay, he was one of few veterans on a perpetually rebuilding roster.
“I’m a dreamer by nature,” Castellanos said. “When I was drafted as a Tiger, I thought of Al Kaline. I thought I was going to be like him. You don’t always get Plan A.”
Plan B turned out to be a trade to the Chicago Cubs at the 2019 trade deadline, just before he was scheduled to hit free agency the following offseason. Though he quickly became a fan favorite because of his scorching-hot performance at the plate — he hit .321 with 1.002 OPS in 52 games — Castellanos had trouble finding his place as a temporary answer in a clubhouse full of players who were part of Chicago’s 2016 World Series roster.
“With the Cubs, I was a rental player,” Castellanos said. “I was there for two months. I have all these visions and dreams and aspirations and theories on how things should go. But it was not my place to go in and do that because if I vocalized all that, I would have been viewed as a tyrant. That’s also not in my personality either because any leader who inserts himself into that position, that’s not a leader, that’s a dictator. Over history, people don’t f— with dictators.”
Though Chicago had made four straight postseasons, that year the team faltered late and Castellanos again missed out on playing in October. By that offseason, when Castellanos hit free agency, the Cubs were shedding salary instead of adding it, so Castellanos had an open mind in his search for a new home.
He ultimately signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds that included opt-out clauses after each of the first two seasons. Coming on the heels of a career-best season in 2021, Castellanos elected to become a free agent for the second time in three years. Though he called his 2021 season “the most consistent, happiest I’ve been playing baseball” at the time, his performance had put his next contract into a dollar range the Reds were unlikely to spend, and Castellanos was again on the move.
The Phillies didn’t actually emerge as a possible landing spot until late in the winter.
“I did not think that I was coming here during my free agent process at all,” Castellanos said. “It wasn’t [one of] the cities that I was interested in at the time, really wasn’t on the radar. Then Bryce [Harper] reached out to me and said, ‘What do you think? I want this. I want you to be here.'”
Harper’s pitch worked, and over the span of three days in March, the Phillies signed Kyle Schwarber for $79 million and Castellanos for $100 million, remaking the team’s offense (and leaving plenty of pundits wondering about its defense).
Asked if his fit in Philadelphia off the field was everything he had hoped for, Castellanos gave an emotional response that went far beyond the team’s success on it.
“Yes,” he said. “And it starts with the Middleton family. [Owner John Middleton] is a Phillies fan. He’s a Philly guy. That’s the foundation of everything. I truly do not believe that owning this team is a business for him. It’s a passion. If that passion is not there, a lot of time, the things that are underneath it, does not work out. Because of that, he oversaw the hiring of [president of baseball operations] Dave Dombrowski. And I think Dave is tremendous at his job. And what makes him tremendous at his job is he’s such a good people person. He believes in character above individuals.
“Every team is going to talk. I found that the more intelligent the words sound, the faker they are. The more fancy and educated the vocabulary — you’re getting to describe why winning is not now but it is in our imminent future — they’re trying to convince. I didn’t have to be convinced here.
“The one thing that gave me comfort was having pillars in Bryce, J.T. [Realmuto], [Zack] Wheeler, Schwarber and Dave’s track record. I didn’t need to hear any intelligent vocabulary because if I can just look at what’s there, I can understand.”
Such a thought-out and detailed response to a question, any question, is something Castellanos’ teammates have come to expect in their two years together.
“If Casty wasn’t a ballplayer, he’d be a philosopher,” catcher Garrett Stubbs said. “He’ll always ask, ‘Why?’ No matter what. He’s probably the most curious person in the entire world. It doesn’t matter what the conversation is about. You know how little kids will always ask, ‘But why?’ He’s always asking why, and it’s hilarious.”
Across the clubhouse, second baseman Bryson Stott admitted that learning to appreciate Castellanos’ deeper thoughts to even the most routine conversations took some time.
“You could ask him the most simple question like, ‘Why is it 7 a.m. in the morning?’ and he gives you an answer you could probably write a story on,” Stott said. “Sometimes you’re like, ‘Nick, I just want to know what time it is. I don’t need to know about the sun and how everything is moving around.’ Anytime you get in a conversation, you know you’re going to get the most in-depth, full answer you could get.”
Or you could get something off-the-cuff and shocking, in the vein of his ring-finger celebration. During an on-field interview after the Phillies’ division series win over the Atlanta Braves, Castellanos was asked if his fit with the team was something he always needed. Without skipping a beat, he responded, “I mean, yeah, I f— with Philly,” on national television.
“I’m not sure where he’s going with some of those interviews, like a lot of other people,” Dombrowski said with a smile. “That’s Nick. One thing you won’t get is any false pretense. You’ll either like it, or you won’t. That’s up to you.”
There is no denying that Castellanos’ straightforward approach could be jarring in a professional clubhouse. But the mistake, according to those who know him best, would be to judge Castellanos by only his quirky, say-anything style without getting to know him as a teammate.
Rookie center fielder Johan Rojas points to the help his right fielder has provided him all season, from the first day of spring training, to his call up to the big leagues in July, to the October stage. Throughout, Castellanos has been there to show the 23-year-old the ropes.
“He’s been a mentor to me,” Rojas said through the team interpreter. “He’s been good about everything, really. He tells me what to expect in the game and sometimes when I don’t have a good [at-bat], he comes to me to forget about it and focus on defense.
“All I can tell you is he’s a great teammate. He’s always looking to help me. I can’t be more thankful to God for putting me on his team. He’s been an incredible teammate.”
Firmly in his comfort zone in his second year in Philadelphia, Castellanos has grown into a leadership role in the clubhouse and become a fan favorite. Much of what has endeared him to the home fan base is showing how he connects with his son through baseball. First, MLB released a Father’s Day video tribute that showcased a softer, more personal side of Castellanos not many had seen before. Whether it’s his son cheering him on after a clutch home run or a postgame trip across the parking lot to meet fans at Xfinity Live, their interactions this postseason have become part of the fabric at Citizens Bank Park. On the eve of NLCS Game 6, it was Liam who got the bigger ovation when both Castellanoses were shown on the Lincoln Financial Field scoreboard during the Miami Dolphins-Philadelphia Eagles game. Getting to share the journey with his son has added to the feeling of groundedness for the elder Castellanos.
“If what you mean by ‘home’ is I have like-minded individuals that are passionate about being great at their careers, yes, I have found a home,” Castellanos said. “The city of Philadelphia, and the crazy cheering by the fans, is all complementary to that. Because if you don’t have that, everything else is come and go.
“The more comfortable I feel with where I’m at, the more my raw emotions can come out and I’m not worrying, thinking or analyzing about s—. I’m just doing it because everything else is in its place.”
Now, Castellanos and his Phillies teammates have a chance to finish what they fell just short of accomplishing last season — bringing their city its first World Series title since 2008. But Castellanos refuses to let even that lofty goal be his only measure of success.
“There’s two ways to go about it,” he said. “You can look at the positive side and just appreciate the fact you got to be in it and not sound like a spoiled brat, just be thankful for the opportunity to play in the biggest baseball series in the world. Or you can be that much more frustrated and not be thankful about any of it and just want to finish it the right way, and none of the other stuff matters. Where’s the balance?”
Many players would have given the expected canned response to such a question, but it’s an answer that is quintessential Castellanos.
“Nick being Nick,” pitcher Michael Lorenzen said. “He knows how to be himself better than anyone.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion Sovereignty rallied after losing position heading into the final turn to win the $500,000 Jim Dandy by a length at Saratoga on Saturday.
Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty ran nine furlongs in 1:49.52 and paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite against four rivals, the smallest field of his career.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Sovereignty would be pointed toward the $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23 at the upstate New York track.
Approaching the turn, there were a few tense moments as it appeared Sovereignty was retreating when losing position to the advancing Baeza and deep closers Sandman and Hill Road, leaving Sovereignty in last for a few strides.
Alvarado said he never had a doubt that Sovereignty would come up with his expected run.
“It was everybody else moving and at that time I was just like, ‘Alright let me now kind of start picking it up,'” Alvarado said. “I had 100% confidence. I knew what I had underneath me.”
Baeza, third to Sovereignty in both the Derby and Belmont, finished second. Hill Road was another 9¼ lengths back in third. Mo Plex was fourth and Sandman fifth.
INDIANAPOLIS — Chase Briscoe became the first driver to win poles at NASCAR’s first three crown jewel races in one season Saturday, taking the Brickyard 400 pole with a fast lap of 183.165 mph.
His late run bumped Bubba Wallace out of the top starting spot.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won nine career poles, five coming this season including those at the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and now the only race held in Briscoe’s home state. He’ll have a chance to complete a crown jewel sweep at the Southern 500 in late August.
Briscoe has the most pole wins this season, his latest coming on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. It also came on the same weekend his sister was married in Indiana. Briscoe has never won the Brickyard.
Wallace starts next to Briscoe on the front row after posting a lap of 183.117 mph. Those two also led a pack of five Toyotas to the front of the field — marking the first time the engine manufacturer has swept the top five spots.
Qualifying was held after a brief, rescheduled practice session. Friday’s practice was rained out.
Briscoe’s teammate, Ty Gibbs, has the early edge in the championship round of NASCAR’s first In-Season Challenge. He qualified fifth at 182.445. Ty Dillon starts 26th. The winner will be crowned champion and walk away with $1 million.
Last week’s race winner Denny Hamlin faces a major hurdle in winning his first Brickyard title. He crashed hard during qualifying and will start from the back of the field, 39th, as he tries to become the fifth driver to complete a career sweep of the Cup’s crown jewel races. The 44-year-old Hamlin signed a two-year contract extension with JGR on Friday.
There’s plenty of history in the rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. It’s about 116 miles from Citi Field to Citizens Bank Park. The two teams been competing for the NL East since 1969. Star players from Tug McGraw to Jerry Koosman to Lenny Dykstra to Pedro Martinez to Zack Wheeler have played for both franchises. Mets fans loathe the Phanatic, and Phillies fans laugh derisively at Mr. Met.
Despite this longevity, the two teams have rarely battled for a division title in the same season. The only years they finished No. 1 and 2 or were battling for a division lead late in the season:
1986: Mets finished 21.5 games ahead
2001: Both finished within six games of the Braves
2006: Mets finished 12 games ahead
2007: Phillies finished one game ahead
2008: Phillies finished three games ahead
2024: Phillies finished six games ahead of Mets and Braves
So it’s a rare treat to see the Mets and Phillies battling for the NL East lead in as New York faces the San Francisco Giants on “Sunday Night Baseball” this week. This season has also been a bit of bumpy ride for both teams, so there is pressure on both front offices to make trade deadline additions in hopes of winning the World Series that has eluded both franchises in recent years despite high payrolls and star-laden rosters. Let’s dig into what both teams need to do before Thursday.
The perfect trade deadline for the Mets
1. Bullpen help
The Mets already acquired hard-throwing lefty Gregory Soto from the Orioles, but David Stearns will likely look for another reliever, given that the Mets’ bullpen has struggled since the beginning of June with a 5.02 ERA. In my grade of the trade, I pointed out the importance for the Mets to add left-handed relief. Think of potential playoff opponents and all the key left-handed batters: Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper on the Phillies; Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy on the Dodgers; Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Cubs.
Soto has held lefties to a .138 average this season, and it does help that the Mets have two lefty starters in David Peterson and Sean Manaea. They also just activated Brooks Raley after he had been out since early 2024. If he is back to his 2022-23 form, when he had a 2.74 ERA and held lefties to a .209 average, maybe the Mets will feel good enough about their southpaw relief.
They could still use another dependable righty reliever. Mets starters were hot early on, but they weren’t going deep into games, and outside of Peterson, the lack of longer outings is a big reason the bullpen ERA has skyrocketed. Carlos Mendoza has overworked his setup guys, including Huascar Brazoban and Reed Garrett. Brazoban has never been much of a strike thrower anyway, and Garrett similarly faded in the second half last season. Adding a high-leverage righty to set up Edwin Diaz makes sense. Candidates there include David Bednar of the Pirates, Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran of the Twins, or maybe a longer shot such as Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith of the Guardians.
Mark Vientos was a huge key to last season’s playoff appearance and trip to the NLCS, hitting .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs after beginning the season in Triple-A. He hasn’t been able to replicate that performance, though, hitting .224/.279/.354. That has led to a revolving door at third base, with Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio starting games there in July. Overall, Mets third basemen ranked 24th in the majors in OPS entering Friday.
Lack of production at third is one reason the Mets’ offense has been mediocre rather than very good — they’re averaging 4.38 runs per game, just below the NL average of 4.43. They could use another premium bat, given the lack of production they’ve received from center field and catcher (not to mention Francisco Lindor‘s slump since the middle of June). Maybe Francisco Alvarez‘s short stint back in Triple-A will get his bat going now that he’s back in the majors, but going after Suarez to hit behind Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would lengthen the lineup.
Tyrone Taylor is a plus defender in center and has made several incredible catches, but he’s hitting .209/.264/.306 for a lowly OPS+ of 65. Old friend Bader is having a nice season with the Twins, hitting .251/.330/.435. Maybe that’s a little over his head, given that he had a .657 OPS with the Mets last season, but he would still be an offensive upgrade over Taylor without losing anything on defense — and he wouldn’t cost a top-tier prospect. The Mets could still mix in Jeff McNeil against the really tough righties, but adding Suarez and Bader would give this lineup more of a championship feel.
The perfect deadline for the Phillies
1. Acquire Jhoan Duran
Like the Mets, the Phillies already made a move here, signing free agent David Robertson, who had a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings last season with the Rangers. On paper, he should help, but he’s also 40 and will need a few games in the minors to get ready. Even with Robertson, the Phillies could use some more help here. They’ll eventually get Jose Alvarado back from his 60-game PED suspension, but Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason. At least the Mets have an elite closer in Edwin Diaz. Jordan Romano leads the Phillies with eight saves and has a 6.69 ERA. Matt Strahm is solid, but more useful as a lefty setup guy than a closer (think of all those left-handed batters we listed for the Mets, then sub out Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo for Harper and Schwarber).
And the Phillies’ bullpen has consistently come up short in big games. Think back to last year’s NLDS, when Jeff Hoffman lost twice to the Mets. Or 2023, when Craig Kimbrel lost two games in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. Or the 2022 World Series, when Yordan Alvarez hit the huge home run off Alvarado in the clinching Game 6.
So, yes, a shutdown closer is a must. Maybe that’s Bednar, maybe Clase if he’s available (although he struggled in last year’s postseason), maybe Helsley. But the guy Dave Dombrowski should go all-in to get: Duran. The window for the Phillies is slowly closing as the core players get older. Duran is under control through 2027, so he’s a fit for now and the immediate future. The trade cost might be painful, but with his 100 mph fastball and splitter, he has the elite stuff you need in October.
The Phillies have received below-average production from both left field (mostly Max Kepler) and center field (Brandon Marsh/Johan Rojas platoon). The center-field market is pretty thin except for Bader or maybe a gamble on Luis Robert Jr. I’d pass on Robert, stick with the Marsh/Rojas platoon and upgrade left field with O’Hearn, who is hitting .281/.375/.452 for the Orioles. He isn’t the perfect fit since, like Kepler, he hits left-handed and struggles against lefties, but he’s a patient hitter with a much better OBP, and he’s passable in the outfield.
Here’s the bottom line: The Phillies have to admit that some of their long-term position players aren’t getting the job done — such as second baseman Bryson Stott, who has a 77 OPS+. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been better but also has a below-average OPS.
That makes Castro a nice fit. He’s not a star, but he’s an above-average hitter, a switch-hitter who plays all over the field for the Twins, having started games at five different positions. He could play second or third or start in left field against a lefty. Philadelphia could even start him in center instead of Rojas, although that would be a defensive hit. Bottom line: Castro would give the Phillies a lot more versatility — or a significant offensive upgrade over Stott if they start him every day at second.
Note as well: Stott has hit .188 in 33 career postseason games. Bohm has hit .214 with two home runs in 34 postseason games. The Phillies need a different offensive look for October.