Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh was named an All-Star for the first time in his career during the 2026 season after an excellent first half.
He slashed .301/.339/.490 with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, and 46 RBIs in 92 games. His .301 batting average was tied with the Rockies' Jake McCarthy and the Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno for eighth-best in the league through the first half.
The second half was a completely different story for Marsh. He batted .184 with a .502 OPS, and three home runs, 16 RBIs, and 46 strikeouts in 63 games.
Marsh went from one of the team's better hitters to a total liability. Now we might have an explanation as to why.
Marsh underwent surgery on his left hand after the season ended, an anonymous league source told The Athletic's Matt Gelb. The injury was located just above his wrist.
Like Bryson Stott in 2024, perhaps Marsh's injury could explain his second-half drop-off. Stott struggled during the 2024 campaign. It was eventually learned after the season that he had dealt with a nerve injury in his elbow since May. Stott hit .245 with a .671 OPS and 93 strikeouts in 148 games.
Could Marsh's wrist injury explain his second-half woes?
Phillies fans hoped that Marsh's breakout in the first half meant the left fielder had finally taken hold of his position and could be a regular in the lineup, starting against lefties as well as righties. Even if Marsh's injury can explain away his putrid post-All-Star performance, it's hard to ignore that he was one of the worst-qualified hitters in the sport during that span.
Marsh has been a key piece of the Phillies' outfield since the team acquired him from the Angels at the 2022 Trade Deadline in exchange for catcher Logan O'Hoppe, who was the club's No. 5 prospect at the time. Marsh, who will turn 29 in December, is entering his sixth season in Philadelphia in 2027.
Perhaps a shakeup in the outfield is needed. That's why the Phillies are pursuing help at the position this winter. Philadelphia has been searching for outfielders for what feels like forever, but this time, they have some big names on their radar, including Teruaki Sato of Nippon Professional Baseball as well as free agents Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki.
The Phillies are not in a position to make excuses anymore. Their core is running out of time, and if they want to salvage their window of contention, they must be aggressive this offseason. One of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski's main objectives should be to upgrade one of MLB's worst outfields by adding either Sato, Arozarena, or Suzuki.
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