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Phillies' Nick Castellanos' Wife Jess Calls Out Fans Amid Benching, 'Watch the Game'
Phillies' Nick Castellanos' Wife Jess Calls Out Fans Amid Benching, 'Watch the Game' originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies fanbase saw one of their fan-favorite players become the center of attention, and not for a good reason. In the middle of the series against the Miami Marlins, Phillies manager Rob Thomson benched Nick Castellanos for inappropriate comments made after getting pulled for a defensive substitution late in the game.
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Afterwards, Thomson and Castellanos put it behind them. After Castellanos made a game-winning catch in right field in his first game back since his benching, there were plenty of comments about his defense.
Devan Kaney of 94 WIP made a post on Twitter/X that said, "Ok Casty! Proving he can play RF just fine." A little while later, Jess Castellanos, Nick's wife, commented on that post from Kaney, which called her and others questioning Nick Castellanos out for their criticism of his defensive performance.
"414 straight games no errors," Jess Castellanos posted. "National league record holder. Eyes off the computer, watch the game."
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In his first game back, Castellanos made a great play to win the game, which prompted this response from Jess. While Castellanos does have a solid record of not committing errors, with how games are scored in today's game, it's not as impressive a stat.
Scorers give out hits significantly more frequently, and it doesn't account for plays Castellanos can't get to a ball due to a poor read or jump. Jess's mention to get their "eyes off the computer" is about the advanced defensive metrics, which paint a very negative picture of Castellanos' defense.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) fields a fly ball against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Ross-Imagn Images
According to Baseball Savant's Fielding Run Value, Castellanos is the worst defender in the league with a negative nine FRV. By Outs Above Average (OAA), Castellanos is the third-worst defender in the league with a negative eight OAA.
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Between the two stats, Castellanos is graded out as the worst defender in baseball. His defense doesn't allow him to rack up errors because he isn't able to get close to as many balls as other outfielders.
His range, arm, speed, jump time, and glove work are all below average at best. He's not the best defender, but if he does get to a ball, he typically makes a play. That's his strongest trait. The issue is that he can't get to a lot of balls in right field.
While Castellanos returned to the field, his wife, Jess, took to social media to defend him amid the fans' complaints over his defense. With his defense still an issue, there will likely be plenty more moments throughout the year that will spark heated debate. Whether it leads to Jess defending Nick on social media again is left to be seen.
Related: Phillies' Nick Castellanos Sends Six-Word Message After Rob Thomson Benching
Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Sends Heartfelt Message to Nick Castellanos Despite Latest Development
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
