From Cold to Clutch: Phillies Brandon Marsh has shown plenty of resilience in 2025

After going 0-for-April, outfielder Brandon Marsh rebounded to become one of Philadelphia's most reliable offensive threats this season

Aug 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) runs the bases on a double against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

To say that Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has had an odd season statistically would be a massive understatement. After a weird start to the 2025 campaign, he's settled in to become one of Philadelphia's most reliable clutch players.

After not registering a hit in the team's first 20 games, Marsh has made adjustments and has shown vast improvement. At one point early in the year, he was hitting .095 with 16 strikeouts in his first 42 at-bats. But since May 1, the veteran registered a .314 batting average with 66 hits, 6 home runs, 22 RBI, and 36 runs scored in 75 games played. During that stretch, he's improved his OPS to .768, and he got his first career walk-off hit against the Chicago Cubs on June 9.

“I had a lot of moving parts to start the year,” Marsh stated recently. “The competition out there is pretty dang good. I had to simplify to get to the spot where I wanted to be. It’s kind of the word I’ve been riding for the last couple of months: Just simplify.” 

Marsh has certainly benefited from the platoon situation that Phillies manager Rob Thomson has positioned him in this year. Philadelphia's outfield depth has allowed the skipper to play the averages, and he's tried to maximize Marsh's opportunities for success.

“The at-bats against left-handed pitching when he’s gotten them have been really good,” Thomson said recently. “He’s made some pretty good contact. I like what I see with him. He’s another guy. He’s worked hard at it. He’s really left-center oriented in his mind. You’re going to pull balls. As long as you’re thinking that way, then you’re gonna stay on a lot of pitches.” 

Brandon Marsh has become a Phillies Favorite

Aug 9, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) stands in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

As most fans already know, Philadelphia can be one of the toughest cities to play... in any sport. But Marsh seems to have quite the cult following among the Philly faithful. Maybe it's the long hair or the scraggly beard. Or perhaps it's Marsh's gritty play that has earned the fans' respect. Marsh falls into a classic baseball mold: He doesn't always play pretty, but he always plays hard.

That attitude is likely why he could be on the way to the most productive year of his career. At this point, the only thing that could stifle his stats is a September call-up. Philadelphia's 21-year-old prospect Justin Crawford (the son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford) is currently hitting .321 in Triple-A and is banging on the front door of the big leagues. If he's called up for a late-season audition, he will command a lot of the at-bats that are normally reserved for platoon players like Marsh.

In the meantime, the Phillies will open up a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds. They currently lead the Mets in the NL East by 5.5 games.

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