Nick Castellanos and the conflicted Phillies faithful saga continues. In his fourth season in the city with arguably the most passionate fan base across every sport, the right fielder left much to be desired. He posted the worst slash lines of the said duration and then, for the season-ending highlight, dropped some comments in Castellanos fashion.

For the unversed, after losing Game 2 to the Dodgers, Citizens Bank Park, stuffed with 45k fans, booed the team on its way out. That triggered the fielder to note: “When everything’s going good and you’re rolling it’s a [pain] to play here when you’re an opposing team because the environment is amazing. But if we run into adversity and the tide shifts, and now we’re playing more tight because we don’t want to be reprimanded for something bad.” The criticism came fast and in heaps. But as history goes, you can’t stay mad at Castellanos for long.

After the Game 4 blunder by rookie pitcher Orion Kerkering, the Dodgers swarmed the ground in celebrations while he stood there, dejected. Costing your team a postseason series is a hard fact to swallow, and Castellanos saw it. Instead of heading to the clubhouse, the fielder sprinted straight to the young reliever.

“Say what you want about Nick, but he’s one of the few bats to show up (again) and he’s a hell of a teammate,” an X post shared. It was only expected of the 12-year vet who has lived a similar heartbreak himself.

Back in the 2022 World Series, Castellanos made the final out off a foul fly down the right-field line. He’d just made it to first base when Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker tracked it down, securing the catch and sealing Houston’s 4–1 championship win.

Notably, Kerkering had an impressive rookie campaign this year… A 3.30 ERA, 65 SOs over 60 innings, and four saves in 69 appearances is not bad at all for a first-year arm. And with his electric fastball-slider mix, he’s clearly shaping up to be a key piece of the Phillies’ future.

But in Game 4, things took a tough turn. With the score tied 1–1 and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th, the Dodgers’ Andy Pages hit a grounder back to Kerkering. The 24-year-old bobbled it, then rushed a throw home that sailed wide of catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing Hyeseong Kim to score the winning run.

In the next few moments of soaking in devastation, Realmuto and Castellanos ran to comfort. “That’s second nature. That’s instinct,” the fielder shared about cheering up Kerkering. “I understand what he’s feeling. Not the exact emotions, but I can see them. I didn’t even have to think twice about it; that’s where I needed to run to.”

Castellanos has earned himself a reputation for all the blunt takes, for refusing to nice things up. Some have earned him favor, like the time he said, “I don’t have a college degree, I hit baseballs,” and some have landed him on the wrong side, like his comments on fans after Game 2. It hadn’t helped that his regular season averages read, .250/.294/.400, alongside an OPS below .700 for the first time in his career.

But this gesture, fans were all in for it.

Fans are commending Castellanos for his act

“Nick is a total class player!” one fan said. Kerkering’s blunder was as difficult as it could get. It marked only the second time a postseason series had ended on a walk-off error. The only other time was in 2016 when the Blue Jays defeated the Rangers on an errant throw. Castellanos understood the weight of it, and so did some of the fans.

“You all will never make me hate that man; he knows Orion is young and inexperienced in these high-pressure do-or-die situations, and he ran immediately to comfort him,” added another. The young reliever admitted after the game that the pressure got to him and it wouldn’t be easy moving on with the moment etched in your mind. Only right that Castellanos and the team show up to ease some concerns. That mattered more than stats for a few fans.

“Only true alpha on the team. Say what you want about his production. He’s a guy you want in your corner. I don’t want him on our team anymore, but he will be a valuable asset to another team! Wishing him a ton of luck. Truly a good guy,” one user remarked. “If only they were as good at their jobs as they are at being good people,” another added.

Yes, Nick Castellanos didn’t have a good year statistically. In the regular season, he scored 17 HRs at .250. And his postseason stats are worse, with 3 RBIs and zero HRs at a meagre .133. But the fielder says it is not individual stats that matter, but the team’s collective progress. “At the end of the day, it’s a team goal,” he had said last month. And it reflects.

So the fans may not be satisfied with Castellanos’ performance, but they give credit where it’s due. “He is also one of the players who always makes time to sign his autograph or give away his gloves to the younger fans. Admirable,” another fan commented.

If you remember, back in April, in a game against the Cardinals, Nick Castellanos gave a high five and then a fist bump to a young fan in right field. He has earned some brownie points that way. It’s just that his 2025 performance didn’t strike the right chord with the fans.