Should Brandon Marsh start everyday for the Phillies at the moment?
It’s onerous to overstate simply how good Brandon Marsh has been up to now this season. He was main all of Major League Baseball in batting common with a .353 mark coming into play on Monday. He’s hitting an absurd .519 (14-27) over his final seven video games performed and his 4 residence runs on the 12 months are already nearly half of his 2025 homer complete. Not all of it is a small pattern both, as Marsh is hitting .317 with an .852 OPS throughout 518 plate appearances relationship again to his return from damage on May third of 2025.
But after all, one caveat with Marsh has all the time been his struggles in opposition to left handed pitching. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Marsh has hit .213 with a .611 OPS in opposition to lefties. He was notably dangerous in opposition to lefties final season, hitting .197 with a strikeout price of 36.4%. He’s been higher up to now in 2026, hitting .286 in opposition to lefties with a .680 OPS, but it surely’s been in a particularly restricted 31 plate appearances as the Phillies have principally deployed Marsh as a part of a platoon.
Herein lies the drawback with that up to now in 2026 although. All of the proper handed hitters the Phillies have performed in left subject this season, primarily Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes, have hit a mixed .114 with a .318 OPS. Both of these marks are useless final in baseball amongst proper handed hitting left fielders. Their 34.1% strikeout price is second worst. It’s solely been 44 plate appearances, however clearly it is a main weak point with the Phillies roster.
The workforce has accurately recognized that Marsh must be restricted in opposition to left handed pitching, however for at least the fourth straight season, they’ve additionally didn’t discover a competent proper handed platoon associate for him. Marsh is more likely to start seeing extra taking part in time as an everyday participant no matter the opposing beginning pitcher, particularly contemplating rookie Justin Crawford’s personal struggles in opposition to lefties up to now in his younger MLB profession.
SW, Should Brandon Marsh start everyday for the Phillies at the second? It’s not a super answer, as once more Marsh has been a poor hitter in opposition to lefties. But even his poor numbers are a large enchancment over the present options.
