Castellanos showing better discipline at plate this year

PITTSBURGH – Nick Castellanos was aggressive last year.

He was a rookie, ready to hit when he stepped into the right-handed batter's box, swinging out of his shoes and over sliders and in counts he shouldn't have.

"You want to feel aggressive," he said. "But aggressive under control. Last year, a lot of times my aggressiveness was out of control, and the league took advantage of it."

This year, his aggressiveness is under control. And two at-bats Monday and four walks this season tell the story.

"I didn't have four walks until June last year," Castellanos said. "That gives you a quick indication right there."

On Monday, the Tigers' third baseman was at the plate in two big situations: First in the seventh inning, when the bases were loaded and nobody was out. Then in the ninth inning, when there was a runner on first and nobody out.

Both times, the Tigers trailed by one run. Both times, Castellanos grounded into a double play.

"Those were pitches I could hit," he said. "I just rolled them over."

Actually, he said the first double play he hit into was a fastball "I hit right on the barrel" right to the shortstop — a ball that, a few feet one way or the other, it's a hit and the Tigers have the lead.

"The first pitch is often the best pitch to hit," manager Brad Ausmus said. "You gotta be ready to hit."

And Castellanos is always ready to hit.

"That's why I wasn't mad about those double plays I grounded into yesterday," he said. "Because they're fastballs for strikes, and I just hit a ground ball."

In 2014, he hit .400 on the first pitch, going 30-for-75. Of his 11 home runs, eight came on the first pitch.

"That's what makes me good," he said. "Staying aggressive. There's a fine line between being aggressive and being anxious. You want to stay aggressive on good pitches."

In a year's time, Ausmus said, Castellanos has started to abstain from the sliders and change-ups that right-handers threw him out of the zone.

"He's done a better job of trying to get those pitches up in the zone and not swinging at them when they're below the zone," Ausmus said. "I think that's part of the reason we're seeing … I know it's only been, what, four walks? But it's more than he had in three months last year."

Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.