Nick Castellanos selected for his second career All-Star Game

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos has been selected to the 2023 All-Star Game, it was announced Sunday. He will be the team’s lone representative for the July 11 game in Seattle. He was voted in as a reserve.

This marks the second time Castellanos has been an All-Star in his career. The first came in 2021, when he batted .331/.384/.585 in the first half for the Cincinnati Reds, with a .969 OPS and 18 home runs.

Castellanos has put up comparable numbers in 2023. Through 80 games, he’s batting .316/.358/.516 with a .874 OPS and 12 home runs. He’s tied for second in the National League in doubles (26) and ranks third in batting average (.316), and fourth in hits (101).

When he looks back on his season so far, what he’s most proud of is his consistency. The longest Castellanos has gone without a hit this season was four games from April 2-5. Since then, he hasn’t gone more than two games without a hit. He credits his consistency with feeling more comfortable in his environment.

» READ MORE: Darick Hall gets the Phillies call he’s been waiting for

“[Comfort here] has everything to do with my success,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t comfortable or relaxed in any part of my surroundings. Also, building relationships with my coworkers, the city, the media. I didn’t really have a grasp on all of it. And I’m somebody where everything is connected, right? If I don’t have peace in any of those relationships, how am I going to have it in the box?”

Castellanos received the news Sunday morning before the game.

“I was happy,” Castellanos said. “Gratifying. It was really cool to see how happy everybody else was for me, coaching staff, my teammates, everything. That’s something that meant a lot.”

Castellanos is often seen around the ballpark with his son, Liam. Unfortunately, Liam has a baseball tournament scheduled for that week. The elder Castellanos plans to have a discussion about it with his son.

“He’s been to an All-Star Game before, and he’s never played in a sleep-away tournament,” Castellanos said. “It should be an interesting conversation.”

Castellanos’ teammates found out before the game and weren’t surprised.

“I think it’s a no-brainer,” infielder Alec Bohm said. “He’s one of the best outfielders in the league. So, it’s good to see. They did the right thing. Happy for him.”

“Very proud of him,” manager Rob Thomson said. “After last year, he went through a lot of struggles during the regular season. He’s been our most consistent hitter all year. He deserves it. Really proud for him, really happy for him.”

“It’s an honor,” Castellanos said. “To be able to represent the city and the team, and also to be able to experience it with the coaching staff, it’s going to be a fun time.”