If Philadelphia Phillies fans could have handpicked any player on the roster to start the All-Star Game, few would have selected outfielder Brandon Marsh to step into that role. Marsh made his first career All-Star appearance this week in Philadelphia and has put his skill set on full display this season through the break. Marsh received praise from Phillies star first baseman Bryce Harper on a Fox panel ahead of the Home Run Derby, but it came with a dig at his former usage patterns, employed diligently by Phillies former manager Rob Thomson.
Thomson was relieved of his managerial duties on April 28 after another rough road trip, putting the club in a 9-19 hole. Bench coach Don Mattingly then took over as the club's interim manager. At the time, the Phillies needed someone to step up outside just the known stars on the club, and that's when Marsh helped propel the Phillies back well above water coming into the break.
Bryce Harper's praise over Brandon Marsh comes with harsh Rob Thomson reality
The nine-time All-Star Harper himself was asked by the Fox crew about his thoughts on seeing Marsh develop into an All-Star for the first time in his six-year career. His answer was honest with Marsh present and also left some uneasiness about the way Thomson handled him.
“Yeah, I would say the confidence, right? He has the confidence to go in there every single day, and it's real,” Harper said. “And I think the big thing with Donny is he gives him that confidence as well. He's playing every day. Lefty or righty. And he's played every day his whole career. And I remember reading something about you where you talked about stats and stuff like that, but the game has lost the feel part of it, right? You lose the feel part of the game. And so when you don't play every single day, you lose that feel. And for him to be able to play every single day, you see it. Lefty, righty, doesn't matter.”
Marsh was acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Angels at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. When Thomson took over the club mid-season, he heavily utilized Marsh as a left-handed platoon bat with no real runway to face lefties on the mound. From 2022 to 2025, Marsh hit .205 with a .604 OPS in just 311 plate appearances against southpaws. There were moments that Marsh looked like he was on the verge of a breakout, but Thomson relied on the numbers to limit Marsh's playing time.
Mattingly gives off more of that old-school feel part that Harper is referencing and has given Marsh every opportunity to take that everyday role in the outfield. In 99 plate appearances against lefties this year, Marsh is hitting a more improved .245 with a .677 OPS. He is also sporting an overall .301 batting average and .829 OPS, the eighth-best mark among all NL outfielders. His 15 home runs on the year are just one shy of his career high set in 2024.
Thomson received a lot of praise in his time here, but the Phillies needed a change in voice when they floundered out of the gate. Things in Philly badly needed a shakeup, and Mattingly has provided that in spades so far. It also helped unlock an All-Star in Marsh that Harper knew was there, but who just needed the chance to make his breakout a reality in 2026.
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