Could Weston Wilson be added to the Phillies’ postseason roster? It’s not a far-fetched idea.
Sam Fuld: "Recognize that we still have work to do to get to the playoffs...[but] he also has the ability to do damage on any swing. Legit power."
Utility man Weston Wilson has played in only five major league games over two call-ups with the Phillies this season, but he has quickly made a good impression. Not just because he hit a home run in his first big league at-bat, but also because of his overall composure at the plate and in the field.
Wilson collected six walks over his 12 plate appearances. He struck out only once. Over those five games, he played both right and left field — after primarily playing infield positions in the minors. On Aug. 10, in the second major league game of his career, he dropped a line drive in right-center in the fourth inning of the Phillies’ 6-2 win over the Nationals. General manager Sam Fuld liked what came next.
Wilson walked in the bottom half of that inning. He went 1-for-3 the next day with two walks before being optioned to triple A on Aug. 21.
“I was impressed by how he bounced back from that,” Fuld said. “He didn’t get a ton more opportunity out there, but it didn’t seem to affect him. It looked like his heart rate remained steady.
“It points to his maturity. It’s probably not the first ball he’s dropped, but it’s probably the first ball he’s dropped at the big league level. I was really impressed — we were all really impressed — with how he didn’t let it spiral negatively.”
Unflappability is a good quality to have in any player, especially during the postseason. It’s something that comes naturally to Wilson. He has learned a lot in his seven seasons in the minor leagues, the first six in the Brewers system.
“I was always pretty hard on myself, and a perfectionist,” said the Clemson product. “I think that caused me to carry weight that I shouldn’t have. I’ve really tried to do a better job of giving myself grace. Just remembering that this is a game and that I have played it for a long time.”
He’s also learned how to put himself in the best position to hit. In early May, Wilson was coming off a month when he hit .200/.306/.435 with Lehigh Valley. When looking at old videos of himself hitting, he noticed that in 2021, his stance was more upright.
Wilson showed the video to Joe Thurston, the hitting coach at Lehigh Valley. Thurston agreed that it was worth a shot. They also synced up on the rhythm between Wilson’s upper body and lower body. All of it helped Wilson see the ball travel more — and thus, make better decisions.
“That change in stance got me back to feeling what I felt before, in 2021,” he said. “I’ve also learned the strike zone better with the ABS [automated ball-strike] system because there are so many pitches that get called strikes that aren’t, and ‘we,’ as a whole, start to expand to the zone or strikes that are getting called. All of that has led to more confidence and trust in what I’m doing.”
Wilson saw immediate results. He hit .313/.417/.616 in May and has hit .263/.365/.545 with a .910 OPS at Lehigh Valley this year. He’s on close to a 30-30 season at triple A, with 31 homers and 28 steals.
“I think he makes really good decisions in the box,” Fuld said. “The track record validates that. He is not afraid to take his walks, but he also has the ability to do damage on any swing. Legit power, as we’re seeing this year. And when you talk about selective aggressiveness, I think he embodies that really well.”
Wilson would probably be on the expanded September roster if Rodolfo Castro’s ability to be optioned in 2024 was not at stake. Castro has spent 17 days in the minor leagues this season on an option, with the Pirates. If he exceeds 19 days, his option will count, and the Phillies won’t be able to option him in 2024. At most, he can optioned for two days, but if the Phillies do that, he can’t be recalled for 10 days unless there is an injury on the active roster.
But none of that applies to the 26-man postseason rosters. If Castro, a 24-year-old infielder who has played in only 11 games since the Phillies acquired him at the deadline, doesn’t make one of the Phillies’ postseason rosters, it wouldn’t count as an option.
This opens up a lane for Wilson, who has proved, in a short stint, that he can provide real value both offensively and defensively.
“I think we try to stay in the moment and recognize that we still have work to do to get to the playoffs,” Fuld said. “I think there are a lot of discussions to be had. Hopefully, we have those discussions at the end of the regular season. There’s no doubt that Wes has had a tremendous year. And earned every bit of his call-up, and then some.
“Obviously, in a short stint he gave us a lot of value here in a big league setting. He’s very versatile. He fits in very well. It was great to see him connect with everybody. In the spring, he was in a new organization for the first time in his career and he fit in with the group really well. I think everybody was really pumped to see him become a big leaguer. Somebody who has overcome injuries, [and] has shown a lot of perseverance in his career to get to where he is now. We really like Wes. We think he can help us in a lot of different ways.”
Castellanos on lineup move
A few days ago, before right fielder Nick Castellanos was dropped to eighth in the lineup for the first time since 2015, Rob Thomson approached him.
“He pulled me to the side and said, ‘I’m thinking of moving you down,’” Castellanos said. “And I said, ‘You’re the manager.’”
Castellanos, who has hit .185/.267/.259 over his last seven games, and .200/.269/.267 over his last 15, said he didn’t agree with the decision, but he respects it.
“Did I feel that [I needed to be moved to a different spot]? No,” Castellanos said. “But he is the manager. There’s no confrontations or malicious intent. I don’t have to agree with every decision made. That doesn’t keep me from doing my job.”
Thomson believes that Castellanos, who was moved to sixth in the lineup ahead of Tuesday’s game, has looked better at the plate lately.
“He’s taking a few more pitches,” Thomson said. “He’s not chasing quite as much. He’s getting better. And I know he’s going to get back to where he was at earlier in the season. It’s just a matter of time. Take a little pressure off of him. He’ll get there.”