Phillies 2023 report cards: Grading the outfield

Brandon Marsh

For the first few months of the 2023 season, Brandon Marsh looked to be on his way to an All-Star-like season.

Through his first 27 games of the year, Marsh hit .329 with a 1.066 OPS, hitting four home runs and walking 13 times. During the next 130-plus games, the young outfielder came back down to earth, ending the season hitting .277 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Over his season-plus with the Phillies, Marsh's bat has developed more than anyone could've thought. In his two years with the Angels, he hit .239. Over his time with the Phillies, he upped that to .280 with the help of hitting guru Kevin Long.

However, when the Phillies acquired him it wasn't for his bat.

The 25-year-old has tremendous baseball instincts and athleticism in the outfield. According to Baseball Savant, Marsh ranked in the 92nd percentile for outs above average for fielders and in the 77th percentile for arm strength. This gave manager Rob Thomson the ability to slide him around to left or right field late in games when defensive replacements like Pache or Rojas would enter.

Marsh showed a ton of promise in 2023, earning a spot in the outfield for next season. If he can learn to be more consistent at the plate and improve his ability versus left-handed pitching, he could be on his way to a breakout campaign in 2024.

Grade: B-