The Philadelphia Phillies are riding an 8-2 hot streak over their last 10 games, thanks in large part to a 28-year-old outfielder from Buford, Georgia. Brandon Marsh has quietly raked at the plate this season with a team-leading 40 hits, which has the outfielder looking like a candidate to represent the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park later this season at the 2026 All-Star Game.
His .336 batting average is tied among the best hitters in the majors. Marsh has six hits in his two outings, a fact Don Mattingly has certainly taken notice of.
“He’s continued what’s going on with him,” the Phillies interim skipper said following last night’s 6-3 win over the Athletics. “(He) continues to swing the bat well against lefties and righties. We’re starting to talk about him every night, almost right now. We want to keep riding that. He’s a big part of what we are doing right now.”
Marsh has been a consistent threat in the Phillies lineup with 22 hits, two home runs, eight RBIs, and a .400 batting average over his last 15 games. Marsh has outplayed All-Star-caliber outfielders, such as the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., over the last 162 games played, according to MLB analyst Ryan Spaeder.
Marsh features a .293 batting average (BA) / .345 on-base percentage (OBP) / .458 slugging percentage (SLG) slash line with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in 537 plate appearances over his last 162 contests. Over the same period of time, Tatis Jr. featured a .251 BA / .350 OBP / .387 slugging percentage with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs in 720 plate appearances over his last full season of baseball games for the Padres. While San Diego’s star has received more opportunities, Marsh has done more with less playing time in Philadelphia.
The Phillies responded to the dismissal of Rob Thomson with an 8-1 record under their new interim bench boss. That winning surge has helped drag the club within striking distance of a .500 record at 17-20 and into second place in the National League East entering play on May 7. While they still trail the Atlanta Braves by 8.5 games in the standings, Marsh knew a swift turnaround was possible for this collection of individuals.
“Coming from the humble side of the heart, this team is too good to be doing what we were doing for that long,” Marsh told the assembled media following last night’s victory. “We have a lot of dudes that a lot of people look up to on this team. It was just a matter of time before we started clicking on both sides of the ball.”
Marsh (and the Phillies) will be hoping to have Athletics’ starter J.T. Ginn looking skyward following Thursday night’s date at Citizens Bank Park. The 26-year-old righty has been solid in four road appearances this season with a 1.65 earned run average (ERA) over 16.1 innings.
Ginn will be opposed by rookie Andrew Painter, who brings a 1-1 record and a 3.14 ERA over 14.1 innings into the matchup against the Athletics.
The rainy weather is expected to move out, leaving a beautiful night for baseball with a 6:40 PM first pitch in South Philly.
