One of the biggest bright spots in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup this season has been left fielder Brandon Marsh, who has performed at an All-Star caliber level. Through 43 games, Marsh is hitting .329 — the fourth-best average in baseball — while posting an impressive .830 OPS.
Now playing every day, Marsh believes his growth at the plate comes from staying disciplined with his preparation and refusing to drift away from his routine.
“I’m being stubborn to the routine, the preparation that we do in the cages,” Marsh said to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “I’m not thinking a lot out there. I’m trying to trust all the stuff we do behind the scenes. Just letting it happen [once the game starts].”
Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly praises Brandon Marsh’s growth
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Marsh’s breakout is no surprise, crediting much of the success to the work he has done with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long.
After being demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following a brutal April stretch in which he went 0-for-29, Marsh turned things around dramatically, slashing .302/.354/.527 after last year’s All-Star break. While Long has faced criticism over the development of some hitters — including second baseman Bryson Stott — Marsh’s emergence tells a different story.
“[He is] growing up from the standpoint of more and more game planning where he knows what he wants to do [against pitchers],” Mattingly said to Ladson. “He has a good swing. All the factors are there for him to be a good hitter. He is going to struggle like everyone else does in different times. But everything trends that he is a good hitter. This is who he is.”
With this season’s All-Star Game set to take place at Citizens Bank Park, Marsh is building a strong case to become the National League’s starting left fielder. His biggest competition could come from Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies, the former Phillies top overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.
In 39 games this season, Moniak is batting .298 while leading the National League with a stellar .996 OPS.