<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nick-castellanos">Nick Castellanos</a>, one of the standout players from last MLB season, gave his all to help the Philadelphia Phillies make a deeper postseason run in 2024. However, the team’s journey was cut short after an early exit against the New York Mets. As the offseason progresses, Castellanos shared his thoughts on Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani winning the NL MVP last year.



Looking ahead to 2025, the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies">Phillies</a> are determined to contend for, at minimum, a National League Championship. While the team hasn’t made significant roster moves during the offseason, Castellanos is poised to step up as a leader and drive a strong performance in the upcoming season.



During a conversation on The Chris Rose Rotation, Castellanos expressed his perspective on <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/shohei-ohtani">Ohtani</a>‘s NL MVP award. Surprisingly, he believes another player was more deserving of the honor: José Iglesias. “If you’re looking at the MVP as having the most weight on creating wins for your team, there’s no other player that has had that much weight as José Iglesias,” Castellanos remarked.



He elaborated on Iglesias’ impact: “I think with him being able to come in and bring that Latin spark, knock the ice off Lindor, and finally get Vientos comfortable enough to become an everyday third baseman, he gave direction to a team that looked like it had none.“



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20250114_BUS_312978_Nick-Castellanos-1024x576_217636a0.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="Nick Castellanos" class="wp-image-248592" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after striking out during the first inning against the New York Mets in Game Two of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. </figcaption></figure>



<h2>Castellanos reflects on Iglesias’ impact and Ohtani’s dominance</h2>



Iglesias transitioned to the Mets last year, and Phillies star offered high praise for his former teammate’s performance, crediting him with making a significant difference for a team that advanced to the NL Championship Series against the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/los-angeles-dodgers">Dodgers</a>.


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“I’m saying that him going to the Mets and being himself got the organization to move in one direction,” Castellanos remarked, emphasizing Iglesias’ influence on the team’s trajectory.



Castellanos went on to compare Iglesias’ impact with Ohtani’s, who claimed the NL MVP award for his extraordinary season. “Ohtani played a huge part in the Dodgers winning the World Series. But I don’t know if he’s the sole reason for the Dodgers’ success,” Castellanos observed.



Despite the comparison, Castellanos expressed unreserved admiration for Ohtani while reinforcing his belief in Iglesias’ value. “That doesn’t mean what Shohei did isn’t worthy of the record books—he’s an amazing player. If I’m starting a baseball team, I’m picking Shohei over José, no doubt about it. But the way I saw baseball last year, through my eyes, José Iglesias was the National League MVP.”



<h2>Castellanos opens up about playoff loss</h2>



In addition to his thoughts on Ohtani and Iglesias, Castellanos reflected on the emotional toll of losing in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/mlb">MLB</a> playoffs, offering an honest perspective on the process of moving forward.


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“Grieving comes in waves. Sometimes, it sucks—especially right after a loss,” Castellanos admitted. “But then there’s a decompression period where you think, ‘Man, I get to relax for a second.’”



He continued by describing how he uses the offseason to reflect and process the season. “There’s a moment where you can catch your breath. For me, that’s when I analyze and process everything. I sit back, listen to all the postseason interviews, and really pay attention to what the organization is doing.“

Nick Castellanos reveals who deserved NL MVP over Shohei Ohtani

MLB News: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos reveals who deserved NL MVP over Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani - Bolavip US

MLB News: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos reveals who deserved NL MVP over Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani

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Despite holding an early lead in the fourth inning, the Philadelphia Phillies were unable to hold off the New York Mets, who rallied with four runs in the sixth inning to secure a win in their MLB Postseason Series. Even <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nick-castellanos">Nick Castellanos</a>‘ strong effort couldn’t prevent the Phillies from being eliminated.



With Francisco Lindor leading the charge, the Mets earned a decisive victory and clinched a spot in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/mlb">MLB</a> National League Championship Series for the first time in nine years.



After the game, Castellanos spoke with NBC Sports Philadelphia, offering candid thoughts on the outcome: “Losing sucks. But, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I’m going to give them credit because they made us upon a good baseball.”



Castellanos’ positive attitude extended to his analysis of the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets">Mets</a>‘ impressive series performance: “Watching Jose Iglesias unify them and get the city to buy into something bigger is nothing short of incredible.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20241010_BUS_249290_Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3-1024x576_6e83cf0a.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="Nick Castellanos looking on the hit" class="wp-image-249374" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-3.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a double in the fourth inning against the New York Mets during Game Four of the Division Series at Citi Field on October 09, 2024 in New York City.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Castellanos on the best team in the series</h2>



When asked if he believed the Mets were the better team, Castellanos gave an honest assessment: “Do I think that they are a better team than us? No. But this series, they were.”


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Statistically, the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies">Phillies</a> struggled in Game 4. They failed to hit a home run, and Bryce Harper was the only player to drive in a run. Castellanos led the team with two hits, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.



With the Mets now advancing to the National League Championship Series, they await the winner of the Dodgers-Padres series, which remains evenly contested.

MLB News: Nick Castellanos makes something clear to the Mets, after losing Game 4 with the Phillies

MLB News: Nick Castellanos makes something clear to the Mets, after losing Game 4 with the Phillies - Bolavip US

The <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies">Philadelphia Phillies </a>find themselves in a difficult position after dropping Game 3 of the MLB postseason series to the New York Mets, leaving them down 2-1. As they prepare for a critical Game 4, Phillies head coach Rob Thomson is focused on finding a way to force a decisive Game 5, with Nick Castellanos expected to play a pivotal role in turning the tide.



In Game 2, Castellanos was instrumental in the Phillies’ late-game victory, delivering a key hit in the final inning to breathe new life into the series. However, the Game 3 loss was a significant setback.



Thomson addressed the defeat candidly, sharing his thoughts with the media: “It’s tough to get down early, but we got to fight, we just need to stay with our approach, pass a baton that’s what we always talk about.”



Despite the challenges, Thomson remains optimistic about the team’s chances at home: “They’re all about toughness and fighting and playing together. That’s what we need to do, just focus on one game.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20241009_BUS_248491_Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1-1024x576_98f82698.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="Nick Castellanos running" class="wp-image-248546" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/Nick-Castellanos-Philadelphia-Phillies-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the New York Mets in Game Two of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Nick Castellanos focused on the next game</h2>



Nick Castellanos emphasized the importance of Game 4, telling NBC Sports Philadelphia: “If we lose, we go home.” The stakes are high, and the Phillies know they must secure a win to keep their hopes alive in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/mlb">MLB</a> postseason.


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Castellanos has been a crucial contributor in the series, with 13 at-bats, 5 hits, 1 home run, and just two strikeouts.



The only way to force a Game 5 against the Mets is to win Game 4, and the Phillies will need to refine their strategy if they hope to continue their push toward the National League Championship Series.

MLB News: Phillies HC makes something clear to Nick Castellanos as team is close to elimination

MLB News: Phillies HC makes something clear to Nick Castellanos as team is close to elimination - Bolavip US

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Nick Castellanos reveals who deserved NL MVP over Shohei Ohtani

MLB News: Nick Castellanos makes something clear to the Mets, after losing Game 4 with the Phillies

MLB News: Phillies HC makes something clear to Nick Castellanos as team is close to elimination