Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he would make a decision on the outfield plan after this past homestand. In game one of the road trip against the Texas Rangers, all signs pointed to him sticking with the double-platoon strategy that saw three of the four outfielders in the mix turn in strong overall hitting performances.
Brandon Marsh took full advantage of that opportunity, going 4-for-10 with two doubles, a home run, and two RBIs. He matched that production in what might be the best game of his career at the plate last night. A home run, two doubles – one coming off a left-handed pitcher, and two RBIs with a fourth hit to the opposite field to boot. The home run was a line drive smashed at 109.3 mph – the second highest exit velocity on a long ball in his career.
While Thomson didn’t commit to a specific plan, there is more mixing and matching coming. Yesterday, the manager committed to Harrison Bader starting in center field despite his team facing a right-hander in Jacob deGrom. Previously, the team would repeat the plan from last night – Max Kepler in lefti field and Marsh in center when a right-handed starter toes the rubber. With Bader manning center, which man will start in left?
“I haven’t gotten there yet,” Thomson told reporters when asked if the red-hot Marsh would be the one to start alongside Bader Saturday.
Whether looking at offense or defense, Marsh seems like the best option. His defense goes from average to Gold Glove caliber when moving from center to left. Alongside Bader, the best defensive option overall, Marsh seems to be a perfect fit. But defense isn’t the priority in this decision.
Marsh’s red-hot return
Marsh is in the midst of one of the best offensive stretches of his career. After a less-than-stellar start to the season, the outfielder hit the injured list, spending some time down in Lehigh Valley on a rehab assignment. I spoke to Marsh at the end of July about what has worked for him so well since returning from the IL on May 3:
“Just staying stubborn to the approach, you know, not trying to do too much. I know that the damage has gone down a little bit, but just with my role with this team being like 7-8-9 hole, I just got to get on base.” Marsh explained before their game on July 23.
“Just try to get to first base and kind of sacrifice myself a little bit and try not to hit the long ball, just do my job. We got guys like Trea (Turner), (Bryce) Harper, (Kyle) Schwarber, Casty (Nick Castellanos), JT (Realmuto) – the guys that just launch balls out of here that I need to be on base for. So really just trying to stay in my approach, stick to the plan.”
Sticking to that plan has resulted in production far beyond just getting on base – and plenty of launching. Since our conversation on July 23, Brandon has recorded 10 of his 24 extra-base hits on the season (41.67%). Over that two and a half week stretch, he has an other-worldly .946 slugging percent and 1.446 OBP.
At a time where some of the Phillies hitters he mentioned were in downswings, he delivered despite “not trying to do too much.” His stubbornness and ability to man center may very well lead to him earning the most playing time of the four outfielders in the mix.
Marsh’s on-base (.371) and OPS (.856) since returning from injury would rank him in the top 25 in the majors during that span, if he qualified. The reason he doesn’t? He has almost exclusively played against right-handers. Over that same stretch, he’s only had 38 at-bats vs. southpaws, recording nine hits (.237) with just two going for extra bases – his only two XBH against LHP all season.
The fan-favorite is producing consistently, and getting stronger as the season continues. On the surface, when you look at his results since returning – it seems Mash should be one of the answers in the outfield. The larger question is – should he start every day, regardless of the hand of the starter, because of his numbers? Or are the results so strong because the manager has avoided over-exposing him by not playing him against left-handers?
Thomson told reporters he likes what he’s seen from Marsh: “All around: left versus lefties, versus righties, his at-bats have been a lot better.” It’s clear the manager recognizes the results – Marsh has found himself hitting more toward the middle of the lineup after hitting eighth or ninth for months. Still, his .587 OPS on the year against lefties typically screams platoon.
If he’s in the Phillies lineup tonight, that could be telling regarding his manager’s decision. If he’s not, fans may need to wait a bit longer for clarity on the outfield experiment. One thing is for sure – Marsh has done everything he can to earn playing time. If you ask him, it’s less about himself and more about doing what’s best for the team.
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
