Nick Castellanos is having fun.
Sure, the Phillies right fielder has struggled this season. But when the team is rolling the way it’s rolling, who wouldn’t be enjoying it?
After a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers to sweep the defending World Series champions out of Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, the Phillies are 37-14. That’s a staggering number, one that has them on pace for 117 wins. That probably won’t hold up, but the team looks like it has a real chance to blow past the franchise record for wins in a season set at 102 games in 2011. Castellanos helped on Thursday with a home run and a single, then spoke about what it’s like to play for a club in the midst of an unbelievable tear.
“It’s amazing,” Castellanos told reporters. “This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of. It’s a lot of fun.”
A 12-year veteran, Castellanos was a member of the 2014 Detroit Tigers team that won the American League Central, made a wild-cart spot with Cincinnati in 2020 and was part of two deep playoffs runs in Philadelphia in each of the past two seasons. But he feels something different with this 2024 squad.
“I’d say the consistency in our preparation (is what sets us apart),” Castellanos said. “And, honestly, it’s next man up. Everybody is contributing; it’s somebody different every single day. And we’re all having a lot of fun doing it.”
The Phillies are soaring, even without starting shortstop Trea Turner right now due to injury. They’re winning games and taking joy in that. However, it’s not just about having fun. There’s unfinished business in Castellanos’ eyes after the team blew the National League Championship Series to Arizona last October with two chances to close it out at home.
“I can’t speak for the whole team,” Castellanos said. “I can speak for myself that I had a real hard time enjoying any part of the offseason — even when I was on vacation — just because of how bitter that season ended.”
The Phillies seem to have the right group to have a chance to avenge last season’s loss. The early returns have been incredible, and that should be cherished by those watching. But the ultimate goal for this team is a World Series, which can’t be won in May.
“Obviously, it’s a really long season, and there’s so much baseball left,” Castellanos said. “So, I think we just gotta stay the course and keep going about our work and business this way and let the results be what they are.”
Must-read Phillies content
- Read more on Wednesday afternoon’s win by the hottest team in Major League Baseball.
- Here’s Phillies Nation‘s Destiny Lugardo on why the focus should be on the Phillies’ dominance and not their fairly weak schedule so far.
- Check out the latest on Trea Turner and his timeline to return to action.
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