Phillies Outfielder Brandon Marsh Discusses First MLB All-Star Nod

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has earned his first All-Star appearance.

Jul 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hit a solo home run during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the last few years, Brandon Marsh has been a fixture in the outfield for the Philadelphia Phillies. But this year has been something of an affirmation for him, as he has taken his game to new heights.

The 28-year-old six-year veteran is putting up or en route to putting up career highs in several statistical categories. He has been a major reason the Phillies have bounced back so well from a 9-19 start and put heat on the first-place Atlanta Braves, especially in June when he logged 21 runs batted in and nine home runs.

This past weekend, Marsh was named to the roster for this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will be held on Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies. In fact, he was named as one of the National League's three starting outfielders for the Midsummer Classic.

“You always want to be an All-Star,” Marsh said Sunday morning at Kauffman Stadium, per the Phillies Beat newsletter. “You always want to call yourself an All-Star growing up.”

Brandon Marsh figuring things out for Phillies

Jul 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) hits a single during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is the zenith of the career of the kid from Buford, Ga., a small town just under 40 minutes away from Atlanta. But to fully grasp the gravity of this accomplishment, one has to look at how much he was struggling not too long ago.

Last season, Marsh's batting average was (this is not a typo) .095 in March and April combined. While his overall numbers recovered nicely by May, the left-handed hitter struggled against left-handed pitchers, recording a .197 batting average against such players all year.

Interestingly, while he batted .303 in the friendly confines of South Philadelphia, his batting average was just .254 in away games during the 2025 campaign.

As a result, Marsh became the subject of trade rumors during the first half of last season. He survived the trade deadline, but with just 43 RBIs on the year compared to 60 apiece in 2023 and 2024, there was talk of platooning him.

However, through 89 games this year, Marsh has put forth a career-best effort. He's batting .307 overall with an OPS of .844, and he has registered 46 RBIs and 15 home runs. Philadelphia now has a 52-42 record entering play on July 10 and trails the Braves by three games, and it has staged one of the more miraculous turnarounds in recent baseball memory.

Brandon Marsh has been sparkplug for Philadelphia

Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) and left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) shake hands after a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“It could show you that anything's possible,” Marsh said. “Just going from the bottom of the bottom and now being here, it’s inspiring. A lot of people have done it in the past, and I try to follow in their footsteps.”

Perhaps one thing that has inspired him is the memory of his father, Jake Marsh Jr., who died from cancer in 2021.

“He was one of my biggest, if not my biggest, supporter growing up,” Marsh said. “Put him and my mom right there with each other. He obviously grew up, he played the game. He didn't play after high school, but he loved ball. He knew the game. Yeah, you know, I think he's got the best seat in the house. He gets to watch from the front row. I think he'd be super proud. It’s a big reason why I do it.”

Not bad for a man who started his MLB career as a mere injury replacement for Mike Trout and Justin Upton in 2021 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He started his career with the Single-A Burlington Bees in 2018, and he slowly matriculated to the Double-A and Triple-A levels before finally getting his big break.

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