Brandon Marsh delivered a standout performance in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 9-1 win over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday. Marsh collected four hits, including a 109.3 mph solo home run and a key double off left-handed reliever Robert Garcia, prompting questions about his future usage in the lineup.
Manager Rob Thomson continued to use platoons in both left and center field, starting Marsh in center against Texas right-hander Merrill Kelly. Marsh opened with a leadoff double in the second inning and followed with his second homer in as many games to start the fourth. The home run was the second-hardest-hit of his career.
“He’s swinging the bat well; he has been for a while now,” Thomson said. “He’s got his average up and now we’re starting to see some power, and that’s good.”
When Marsh came up again in the fifth inning, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy replaced Kelly with Garcia to avoid letting Marsh face Kelly for a third time. The decision reflected Marsh’s stronger numbers against right-handed pitchers this season. Before Friday’s game, he had been hitting .302 with an .815 OPS since returning from injury but just .216 against lefties during that span.
Despite those splits, Marsh managed an extra-base hit off Garcia—the first such hit against a lefty since May 31—by sending a fastball into right-center field.
“Maybe a little bit,” Marsh said when asked if he takes it personally when teams bring in left-handers specifically to face him. “I do my best to try to treat it the same way, but yeah, them bringing in Garcia early like that was a little shock. … But yeah, I do treat it as a little challenge.”
Asked if notching that double felt sweeter given the circumstances, Marsh replied: “They’re all sweet.”
The Phillies are now considering whether Marsh should play every day or continue being shielded from most left-handed pitching through platooning.
“All around — vs. lefties, vs. righties — his at-bats have gotten a lot better,” Thomson said.
Thomson has remained committed to outfield platoons recently and indicated Harrison Bader would start Saturday against Jacob deGrom of Texas. Max Kepler started Friday’s game in left field alongside Marsh but went hitless with one walk.
Looking ahead, decisions will be made based on upcoming matchups: when Texas starts Patrick Corbin on Sunday—a left-hander—Thomson may opt for Weston Wilson or possibly keep both Bader and Marsh in the lineup to evaluate their performance together.
“I haven’t gotten there yet,” Thomson said regarding whether both Bader and Marsh would start Saturday.
From a defensive standpoint, metrics show that Marsh has performed better historically in left field (14 Defensive Runs Saved) than center (-13 DRS), while Bader is considered strong defensively with 45 career DRS as a center fielder.
Ultimately though, offensive production remains central to any decisions about playing time: for his career so far, Marsh holds just a .583 OPS versus left-handers compared to .792 versus righties.
Since returning from injury earlier this season after missing time due to a hamstring issue, Marsh is batting .314/.371/.486 (.857 OPS) across 75 games.
“It’s a good feeling; nothing better than a win, though,” said Marsh after Friday’s victory. “But yeah, it feels good to get a couple extra-base hits, and I hope there’s a lot more to come. Just keep my head down and keep working, and all that will play out itself.”
