Nick Castellanos settles into ‘best seat in the stadium’ behind Bryce Harper in Phillies’ lineup

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Say this for Nick Castellanos’ first spring-training game with the Phillies: The view was spectacular.

Castellanos was on deck in the first and third innings Sunday when Bryce Harper unloaded home runs against Blue Jays lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi. The first, which came on a first-pitch slider, banged off the roof of a building beyond the right-field berm.

“I have the best seat in the stadium to watch those swings, you know?” Castellanos said. “First two times on deck I get to see that. I hope I get to see that 50 times a year.”

If it happens, Castellanos will deserve a share of the credit. Too often last year, Harper was a one-man wrecking crew. Of his many achievements en route to being crowned National League MVP, the most astounding may have been putting up such big numbers with such little lineup protection, especially after Rhys Hoskins was lost for the season to lower abdominal surgery.

The Phillies signed Castellanos to a five-year, $100 million contract — a deal that put them over the luxury-tax threshold for the first time in franchise history — to give Harper another middle-of-the-order masher. There’s little doubt that Castellanos can hit. He just turned 30 and is coming off career highs in homers (34), on-base percentage (.362), and slugging (.576) with the Reds.

Castellanos cuts an imposing figure at the plate, too. He stands tall in the right-handed batter’s box and wags his bat as the pitcher winds. It looks familiar. A little like Gary Sheffield?

“Sure,” Castellanos said, smiling. “It’s just something I’ve started working on just to feel a little bit more rhythmic so I don’t get lackadaisical with my swings. I think it might help me with my pitch recognition.”

But if Castellanos broke out a Sheffield bat-wag on Sunday, he may try something else Monday.

“Sometimes I do antics out there that I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’” Castellanos said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But whatever I’m doing, it’s just what the game is telling me to do.”

For the first spring-training game, Castellanos was happy with the results. He struck out in the first inning, walked in the third, then dropped the barrel on an outside changeup and served it the other way to right field in the fifth.

“I’ve always been somebody that, it doesn’t take me a lot of at-bats just to feel good,” Castellanos said. “My last two at-bats — honestly, all three at-bats today — I felt pretty good.”

At least after he shook off butterflies. It’s true. Castellanos said he felt some nervousness before his spring debut with a new team.

“I think anybody that gets in a new uniform has that feeling,” Harper said. “I did as well when I got here. It was just great to see him in our lineup. Pretty cool.”

In what passed for a final prelude to a spring-training start, Ranger Suárez faced Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Ronald Torreyes a total of five times, with a simulated between-innings break, and said “it went well.”

“I felt I had command of my pitches,” said Suárez, whose arrival to camp was delayed a few days by the process of obtaining a work visa. “It was a good day.”

The Phillies are hopeful that Suárez will be ready to start the fifth game of the season, April 12 at home against the Mets.

Mickey Moniak, pushing for a spot on the opening-day roster, homered in his third consecutive game. ... Didi Gregorius went deep in his second game in a row. ... Utility infielder Luke Williams, designated for assignment last week, was traded to the Giants for infielder Will Toffey and cash. Toffey, who hit .217/.355/.383 last year between double A and triple A, will report to minor-league camp. ... Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez will start Monday in Clearwater, Fla., against the Baltimore Orioles.