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Nicholas Castellanos 2020 Outlook: Move to Cincy Adds More Appeal
5 years agoNicholas Castellanos made a switch from the American to the National League after 100 games last season, but it did not seem to disrupt his production in a major way, as his final numbers seemed mostly in line with his previous campaign. His XBA did fall from .301 to .283, though and his xSLG went from .530 to .547. Castellanos also lowered his Launch Angle from 15.2 to 13.9. So we saw a nine-point BA dip while he hit four more homers in six less games. He seemed to be even more comfortable in the N.L., as he hit .321 with 16 home runs in 212 at-bats with the Cubs. It appears to be good news that he will now be playing in the Great American Ball Park, which was just outside the Top 10 in terms of being friendliest to hitters last year. Castellanos will be 27 this season and seems to be settling in as a quality No. 3 Roto outfielder. He looks like a good bet for a .270-plus average and power in the neighborhood of 25 home runs or more with the Reds. The outfield is crowded in Cincinnati but he should be expected to play regularly and possibly hit fifth just behind Eugenio Suarez and Mike Moustakas. There appears to be the possibility for a bit more upside this year, when you consider the xSLG jump and the new home offensive environment. The move to Cincinnati combined with a respectable batting average and power, should make you feel comfortable drafting Castellanos at an ADP of 113.78.
