The Philadelphia Phillies seem primed for yet another Red October run, with the chance of a second-straight division crown on the table. So far, the starting pitching, paired with great offensive years from Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber have been the main catalysts for this season's success.
But while the team waits for Bryce Harper to return from injury and tries to navigate their way through José Alvarado's suspension, they're going to need some players to step up. Luckily, two key players have already seemingly turned a corner offensively, while the Phillies hope one of their offseason splashes can turn it around.
2 Phillies players who have turned their season around
Alec Bohm, 3B
After a disappointing start that featured a ton of bad luck and a .221/.252/.274 slash line by April's end, Alec Bohm has returned to the form that landed him in the 2024 Midsummer Classic. Since the calendar flipped to May, the Phillies third baseman has been their most productive bat, with a .333 batting average and .863 OPS to pair with seven home runs, 28 RBIs and a 1.7 fWAR.
RBI probability: 100% pic.twitter.com/OClPlLUIOa
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 21, 2025
Bohm's turnaround is even more evident over the last 30 days, as his .327 batting average is the best on the team during that span, and has boosted his overall numbers to .290/.328/.406. This flip in performance has garnered attention from fans outside of Philadelphia as well, as Bohm ranks fifth in voting among National League third baseman in the first All-Star ballot update.
Bohm returning to All-Star form would be huge for the Phillies and provide them with a consistent right-handed bat behind Harper, if Rob Thomson chooses to do so.
Brandon Marsh, OF
Center field has been an issue that's plagued the Phillies for a while. Johan Rojas seemed to be the favorite to be the everyday centerfielder after a good March and April, but an ugly May and June has put doubt into fans' heads. Meanwhile, Brandon Marsh has done just the opposite.
Marsh totaled just four hits across 51 plate appearances and struck out in nearly a third of his plate appearances through his first 17 games of the season. Then, a right hamstring injury put the 27-year-old on the shelf and in Triple-A for six games.
But ever since returning to the major leagues, Marsh has seemed to figure it out at the plate. Since May 3, he's batting .341 with a .844 OPS and over the last 30 games, Marsh has been a valuable asset to the Phillies lineup, posting a higher on-base percentage (.392) than Turner (.344) and Schwarber (.353) thanks to a 12.2 percent walk-rate and .313 batting average.
If Marsh can continue to cut back on his strikeout rate (24.6 percent) while maintaining this level of production, it would be a big boost to one of the league's best lineups.
“He’s found his swing, he’s found his timing, he’s using the entire field”
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) June 14, 2025
Rob Thomson has been very impressed with Brandon Marsh recently, who is now hitting .435 in the month of June. pic.twitter.com/ps3DrAhYPS
1 Phillies player whose season keeps getting worse
Joe Ross, RHP
With the loss of Alvarado, the Phillies needed someone to step up in an already shaky bullpen. While Orion Kerkering has shined, their second-biggest bullpen acquisition in the offseason has continued to spiral.
In his last nine appearances, the 32-year-old reliever has posted a 7.24 ERA across 13 2/3 innings of work. He's walked nine batters and hitters have combined to hit .273 against him with four home runs. Since May 9, Ross has allowed runs in eight of his 13 outings, with multiple runs allowed in four of those.
The Phillies just recently cut ties with another one of their offseason acquisitions, and Ross may be next on the list if he doesn't turn his season around.