Thursday night in the city of Philadelphia was not one brimming with positivity. Not only did the Phillies lose their game against the Marlins, but they saw two of their biggest stars succumb to injury. With catcher J.T. Realmuto already on the shelf, the powerful Philly offense suddenly appears thin. Trea Turner recently returned from injury and slugger Nick Castellanos has remained healthy all year, but manager Rob Thomson will have to lean on some other players to step up and fill the gaping hole in the heart of his lineup.
Philadelphia already announced the return of Kody Clemens and Johan Rojas, and we know what Edmundo Sosa did when called upon in Turner’s absence this season, but one player who will be key over the next few weeks is outfielder Brandon Marsh.
The Brandon Marsh Factor
With both Schwarber and Harper out of the lineup, he will be leaned on to be the primary slugging source from the left side for the Phillies lineup, and will likely be asked to play all three outfield positions.
Marsh is already being put into new situations – he played right field for the first time this season and just the eighth time in a Phillies uniform. Nick Castellanos has played there every other game this year. The fourth-year player ALS found himself slotted at No. 4 in the lineup Friday night – just the second time he will occupy that spot in the order and the third time he will occupy a spot higher than No. 5 in 2024.
After taking some hacks in the cage during batting practice, Marsh ran into the dugout, grabbed his glove, and ran to the outfield for some extra work in right field. Despite the heat, he was running around and in high spirits, getting ready for a new look. In an exclusive, I spoke with Brandon prior to Friday’s game about how different the outfield spots truly are as a defender:
“You get a little more true reads in center because it’s a lot of back spin towards you, but you also have twice as much ground to cover so you’re responsibility goes up a lot higher. In left and right, you just gotta know the hitter – if he stays through it as a hitter or pulls off it and hooks a lot of balls down the line. Just reading swings a lot more in left and right in my opinion. A little less time to react, kinda like the corners in the infield. Balls in center stay up a little longer and the balls in the corners tend to have a hook to it.
Brandon Marsh with Philly Sports Network, pregame June 28, 2024
Previous Success
Last year, Brandon performed well when called upon to bat higher in the lineup. Hitting cleanup or No. 5 in the lineup in 2023, he slashed .310/.424/.569 with four doubles, a triple, and three home runs, tallying nine RBIs. Being higher in the lineup is clearly a place he feels comfortable.
Additionally, a lot has been said by fans about his lack of opportunities against left-handed pitching this season, but his percentage of plate appearances is perfectly in line with what he’s seen the last two seasons (77% vs. RHP, 23% vs. LHP). His results against LHP are down compared to last season, but his manager is not worried about Marsh facing more left-handers:
“I think Marsh has a chance to get some extra at-bats against left-handed pitching. Right now, he’s hitting the ball pretty good. He’s had a couple good games here“
Rob Thomson , pregame media scrum June 28, 2024
Although it’s a small sample size (just 20 AB vs. LHP since May 1, 8 since June 1), Marsh is 2-for-5 against lefties this past week, and those opportunities came before the injuries to the big sluggers at the top. During our discussion, he referred to both Harper and Schwarber as “leaders” and talked about his and the team’s preparedness to deal with adversity:
I’ve been saying it all year, like when Sosa stepped up for Trea, we got some dudes that are gonna need to step up for Kyle and Harp and I feel like we have the guys to fit that bill“
Brandon Marsh with Philly Sports Network pregame, June 28, 2024
Confidence is Key
In the past, he’s also spoken with PSN about how much of an impact Castellanos had on him since coming to Philadelphia via a trade with Anaheim. The privilege to play with so many strong veteran hitters isn’t lost on Brandon. Not only has he been blessed by being surrounded by veteran sluggers on the Phillies, but he played with some pretty big names during his time with the Angels as well.
Marsh has been able to share the field and a clubhouse with guys like Mike Trout and possibly the best player to ever step on the diamond, Shohei Ohtani. He ensured to absorb their wisdom and tries to apply it to his approach across the board, specifically when it comes to his approach to facing left-handed pitching:
I remember Shohei telling me one time – the way he hits lefties is the same way he hits righties, they just throw from a little bit more to the right side of his eye sight. It’s a right-hander up there throwing in his mind, but it’s a lefty in reality. At the end of the day they have to throw the ball over the plate. So yes, it’s hard to hit lefties but it’s really hard to hit righties too. Hitting is hard in general…Those are big league arms – left-handed or right-handed. They’re here for a reason and they’re here to get us out and we’re here to hit them so that’s what we have to prepare for”
Brandon Marsh with Philly Sports Network, pregame June 28, 2024
Brandon Marsh is already a fan favorite in Philadelphia, and fans should be prepared to see a heavy dose of the bearded outfielder leading up to the All-Star break. Overall, he likes to stay even-keeled and take each day as it comes. One thing you know he will do no matter his position on the field or his spot in the lineup – Stay loose and sexy.”
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
