Phillie Star ‘Got That October Feeling’ at MLB All-Star Game

Being an All-Star gave a Philadelphia Phillies player a similar feeling to the postseason.

Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates his RBI triple in the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, April 14, 2023. The Phillies won 8-3. Philadelphia Phillies At Cincinnati Reds | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Although the Philadelphia Phillies had six players in Tuesday's Major League Baseball All-Star Game, even with three of them -- Cristopher Sanchez, Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber -- starting in front of the home fans at Citizens Bank Park, it wasn't a fruitful night for them.

The National League got blanked by the American League in a 4-0 defeat, with Sanchez giving up three hits in the first inning. Marsh, meanwhile, went hitless in two at-bats, and overall, the National League could muster only three hits all night.

Many expect the All-Star game of any sport to be more of an offensive exhibition than a defensive clinic. But Tuesday's contest more closely resembled a playoff-style pitchers' duel. For Marsh, it definitely felt like the playoffs, at least in one way, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.

“That was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time on a baseball field,” the outfielder said after leaving the game. “Seeing all the guys out there, dudes that I’ve looked up to for a long time. Being able to learn and pick their brains for a couple of days. And tonight – just the game – I got that October feeling. A little shakiness in the legs in that first at-bat.

Brandon Marsh loved the feeling at All-Star Game

Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies Brandon Marsh (16) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“It was everything I could have asked for.”

Marsh, 28, made his first appearance in the Midsummer Classic this year in his sixth MLB season. The outfielder's effectiveness at the plate has jumped this year -- through 92 games, he's batting .301 with an OPS of .829, and he has driven in 46 runs batted in and hit 15 home runs.

In 133 games last year, Marsh had 43 RBIs and 11 homers. His career high for homers in one season was 16 in 2024.

21 of his RBIs this season came in June, and he has played a key role in the Phillies overcoming a 9-19 start. The team now has a 54-43 record and is just two games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East.

Despite Philadelphia's roster holes, there is a feeling that it may have as good a chance as anyone in the league of unseating the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers come playoff time.

October matchups await Phillies after All-Star break

Jul 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is something Marsh wants to experience, especially after playing on a Phillies squad that went to the World Series just four years ago.

“More than anything,” he said. “I’ll do just about anything to get there. And I know the guys in our clubhouse would say the same thing. We put ourselves in a better position right before the break. We started slow but we’re back in the fight. We’re within striking distance. We just have to keep it day to day and enjoy it.”

Philadelphia will resume its regular season at home on Thursday with a three-game set against the struggling New York Mets, who are in last place with a 40-56 record. It will then host the Dodgers for three straight contests early next week in what will be considered a measuring stick series, before a three-game home set against the New York Yankees.

Perhaps Marsh and his teammates will get a few more flashes of that "October feeling" versus Shohei Ohtani's crew and the Bronx Bombers in the next handful of days.

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