Heading into the 2015 MLB season, it was logical to think that Detroit Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos had a chance to have a breakout year after posting solid numbers in his rookie campaign. Unfortunately, that has not exactly been the case.

Over his first 73 games, Castellanos slashed a mere .233/.280/.349 with four home runs and 28 RBIs. Since Jul. 1, however, the 23-year-old has perked up a bit, hitting .293/.344/.500 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. His overall slash line on the season is still far from impressive at .244/.292/.377, but it is at least starting to look a tad healthier.

Furthermore, Castellanos hit 11 home runs and drove in 66 runs last season, and it is now looking like he has a real chance to match or surpass those totals. While he is still not providing the type of production that most teams would like to see out of their third baseman, it should give him quite a bit of confidence heading into the winter if he can finish the season with 10-15 home runs and 65-plus RBIs once again.

One thing that remains alarming, however, is the sharp decline in Castellanos’ line drive percentage. A season ago, he led the American League with a 28.5 percent LD rate, but he is only lining the ball at a 19.7 percent clip this year, which places him 57th among all qualified hitters in the AL. If he can get back to squaring the ball up the way he did last year, he will likely see his batting average jump up a few more points.

Obviously, the other big concern with Castellanos is his defense at third base. While he appeared to be showing improvements in that department earlier in the year, he now finds himself with a -10.4 UZR/150 with -8 DRS. However, there really isn’t any other place for him to play besides the hot corner at the moment. It might be worth giving him a chance to play first base, but he would quickly be displaced upon the return of Miguel Cabrera. If Yoenis Cespedes is traded or leaves as a free agent this winter, the Tigers could move Castellanos back to the outfield, but they also have Daniel Fields, Tyler Collins and Steven Moya on the horizon.

At any rate, it is quite natural to be a bit disappointed in Castellanos’ play up to this point given the level of hype that surrounded him when he first came to the big leagues, but it is important to remember that he is still very young. It still remains to be seen whether or not he will ever be a star, but his hot July is providing plenty of hope that he can at least salvage what has been a pretty rough sophomore campaign.

Brad Faber is a Senior Writer and Sabermetrics Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Faber, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.