Phillies’ Brandon Marsh Faces Pressure in Early Season Experiment

PHILADELPHIA — After months of anticipation, the Philadelphia Phillies are testing Brandon Marsh as an everyday player to start the 2025 season. Through the first week, Marsh has indeed taken the field for all of Philadelphia’s games, even against two left-handed starters.

In a small sample size of 13 at-bats, Marsh is batting .308 with a home run, two walks, and five strikeouts. Notably, against left-handed pitching, he has struggled more, going just 2-for-7, with all five of his strikeouts coming in these matchups.

The significance of Marsh’s usage became evident during the Phillies’ Opening Day game against the Washington Nationals, which extended into extra innings. With the score tied 3-3 and a ghost runner on second base, Marsh was given the leadoff position in the tenth inning. When left-handed reliever Colin Poche entered the game, the Phillies chose to let Marsh bat, opting not to use a right-handed pinch hitter.

During the at-bat, Marsh attempted to bunt multiple times—a strategy that signals a lack of confidence in his ability to hit lefties. He eventually struck out looking at a 94 MPH fastball after a series of missed opportunities to get the bunt down.

This decision to have Marsh attempt a squeeze play, instead of prioritizing a productive hit, suggests that the Phillies may have reservations about his performance against left-handed pitchers. Since the ghost runner rule’s inception in 2020, only eight teams have successfully executed sacrifice bunts in these situations, which emphasizes the rarity of such tactics in contemporary baseball.

Despite their confidence in Marsh’s potential, the team has frequently platooned him and limited his exposure to left-handed pitchers, leaving only 231 plate appearances against lefties since his acquisition in 2022. Manager Rob Thomson continues to express faith in Marsh, who has been working diligently to improve, but fans and analysts wonder how long the team will stick with the current approach.

Further complicating Marsh’s situation were injuries to key teammates Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto, who missed the start of the season. The Phillies faced enormous pressure to perform well early in the year with a lineup less robust than usual, especially against left-handed pitching.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Thomson reassured. “I throw that first game out. I really do.”

As Philadelphia continues adjusting to their new lineup, the question of Marsh’s long-term role looms. Will he solidify his position as an everyday starter, or will he be reverted back to a situational player as the season progresses?