3) Phillies prediction we wish we made: Brandon Marsh becoming a top center fielder in MLB
When the Phillies opened the 2022 season, we all thought their offense would be unstoppable. There were plenty of misses last year and even this season. Through the good and bad times with guys like Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies have been a tough nut to crack and predict how they’ll perform on any given day.
One player becoming a consistent savior is center fielder Brandon Marsh. Another trade deadline acquisition last season, he already won fans over just by existing. He was the replacement for Odubel Herrera, a player no reasonable fan wanted to return last year. While his numbers with the Los Angeles Angels weren’t superb, they’ve been some of the best of any center fielder in baseball this year.
Joining Bohm and Stott on the list of young Phillies carrying their weight is Marsh. He’s a guy many would have written in as the number nine hitter. This may not change too frequently in 2023 even if he continues to put up huge numbers.
Center field is one of the toughest positions to find good help. Marsh’s .358/.414/.698 start is something we shouldn’t expect him to keep up with all year. What has made Marsh especially good early on is how many of his hits have gone for extra bases. Of the 19, 6 are double, 3 are triples, and 2 are home runs. He isn’t settling for the bloop single. Marsh is hitting the ball a long way and in some cases as far away from the outfielders as he can.
We need to see more to anoint him a top center fielder in the game. He’s on his way.