Detroit Tigers right fielder Nicholas Castellanos is in the midst of his best all-around season at the plate. If he can repeat his stellar September performance from a season ago, his numbers at the end of the year will be quite impressive.
Throughout most of the 2018 season, there has been little doubt that Nick Castellanos has been the Detroit Tigers‘ most productive bat. Of course, if Miguel Cabrera would have stayed healthy, it might have been a different story. However, Cabrera suffered a biceps injury in June and was lost for the season.
Castellanos is currently slashing .293/.347/.497 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI through 123 games. He leads the team with a 127 wRC+.
Last year, Castellanos saved his best work for the final month of the season. He hit .368/.381/.649 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in the month of September. For the season, Castellanos ended up hitting .272/.320/.490 with 26 home runs and 101 RBI.
This year, although Castellanos has a higher batting average and on-base percentage, he is slightly off pace of his home run and RBI totals from last season. Per ESPN, as of August 24, he is on pace for 24 home runs and 90 RBI. That said, a stellar finish to the season could conceivably push him past his marks from last year.
At this point last season, Castellanos’ home run and RBI totals were nearly identical to where they are right now. Through his first 123 games of 2017, he slashed .246/.304/.444 with 18 homers and 72 RBI.
With another big September, it is certainly possible that Castellanos could surpass 25 home runs and 100 RBI yet again. Obviously, Castellanos still has a week left in August as well.
What does the future hold?
This coming offseason, the Tigers could be forced to make a difficult decision on Castellanos. The Tigers are obviously a rebuilding team and Castellanos is under team control through only next season.
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The Tigers could try to trade him or offer him an extension, both of which are scenarios that have been floated in the past. They could also decide to do nothing and perhaps try to move him at the trade deadline next season, but the return may not be as strong for a two-month rental.
If the Tigers do decide to keep Castellanos for the long haul, they will also need to decide where he fits in defensively. Castellanos seems to look more comfortable in right field than he did at third base, and he has also made a few great plays recently. However, he still ranks 135th out of 140 qualified outfielders in baseball with a -16 defensive runs saved.
With Victor Martinez almost certainly headed for retirement at the end of the season, one might suspect that Miguel Cabrera will be slated for more at bats in the DH spot upon his return next season. In the past, some have wondered about the possibility of moving Castellanos to first base.
Regardless of what team Castellanos ends of playing for or where he might be in the field, one thing is for certain: he has had a great year in 2018. It should be fun to see where his numbers end up at season’s end.