Charlie Manuel is bullish on the newest Phillies outfielder, Brandon Marsh.
The Philadelphia Phillies recently acquired two former Los Angeles Angels players before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline.
Along with starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard — who thanks to Mother Nature was credited with his first complete game since 2019 — center fielder Brandon Marsh also debuted in Thursday’s four-game series opener against the Juan Soto-less Washington Nationals.
The new-look Phillies lineup had just 12 outs on offense in the rain-shortened victory. Marsh made the most out of his opportunities — lacing a single on a breaking ball to left field. He went on to advance from first to third on a single to center, before scoring the game-tying run on a Rhys Hoskins RBI single.
Legendary World Series-winning manager Charlie Manuel joined 97.5 The Fanatic on Friday and praised the 24-year-old, 6-foot-4 Georgia native, who debuted with the Angels just more than one year ago.
Manuel said that after watching Marsh take batting practice on Thursday, the outfielder “definitely” is not lacking in power production, adding: “He was hitting balls on the second tier over where Bull’s BBQ used to be.”
Welcome to South Philly, @brandon_marsh22 ! pic.twitter.com/nkoz0RWNPq
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 4, 2022
Manuel continued to comment positively about Marsh on 97.5 The Fanatic, noting his quickness in the outfield and how he helped save a run in the Phillies’ narrow victory:
"“This guy is really quick in the outfield. He showed that last night when he cut that one ball off to his left. If that ball gets by him, it’s a run. … He showed a lot of lateral movement. We watched a lot of film on him and he definitely is a tremendous outfielder.He’s [also] got power and I think he’s going to hit. When I look at him, he’s got some things. Two years ago, he was considered a huge prospect. … I like everything about him. I think that’s going to turn out to be a real big deal.”"
For the past two seasons, Marsh was outfield teammates with future Hall of Famer, Mike Trout. When asking the South Jersey native for advice about his next career chapter, he reportedly told Marsh to “Play hard, do your thing, and keep going.”
Not too long ago, Marsh was considered among the top 50 prospects in all of Major League Baseball. While Marsh’s .240/.299/.355 slash line since his July 2021 debut has been underwhelming, he is still a plus-rated outfielder and can perhaps turn things around at the plate with the change in scenery.
The Phillies essentially have been on a decade-long search for a centerfielder, ever since they traded Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 2012 trade deadline. If Marsh — who is under team control until 2028 — ends up being anything close to the “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski deserves all the credit and then some.