Phillies Star Shockingly Left off Early All-Star Selections

An early All-Star selection list surprisingly does not include a Philadelphia Phillies star.

Jun 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrates his two-run home run with left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The turnaround that the Philadelphia Phillies have undergone has been remarkable.

After starting the season 9-19 under Rob Thomson, he was fired and replaced by Don Mattingly on an interim basis. Since he has taken over, the team has gone 27-11 and is now in the second wild card spot in the National League.

There have been a lot of players contributing to the team’s success, but arguably, their most consistent player throughout the campaign has been outfielder Brandon Marsh. Which makes his absence from an early-season MLB All-Star picks list all the more head-scratching.

Balloting has just opened, and the Phillies are going to have multiple representatives at the game. Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently shared his selections, and four of Marsh’s teammates made the cut: first baseman Bryce Harper, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez and closer Jhoan Duran.

Brandon Marsh deserves All-Star consideration

Jun 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) reacts after hitting a two RBI home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

All of them are definitely deserving of All-Star recognition. With the MLB requiring each team to have a representative, sometimes there are players who should be taking part in the Midsummer Classic who get squeezed out.

In the first attempt at naming the rosters by Bowden, unfortunately, that is what happens with Marsh. In the National League, there are three right fielders, three center fielders and one left fielder who make the cut.

James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Juan Soto of the New York Mets are the starters in right, center and left. The reserves are Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals, Michael Harris II of the Atlanta Braves and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs.

There is certainly some bad luck involved here for Marsh. Walker, Crow-Armstrong and Soto are all the lone representatives for their respective franchises. For him to improve his odds of being selected, one of their teammates has to step up to supplant them as being worthy.

Brandon Marsh has a .321 AVG over the last calendar year, second to only Yandy Díaz among qualified hitters! 🔥@CliffFloyd30 breaks down the @Phillies lefty and what he has been bringing to the lineup. pic.twitter.com/16GIW7liTD

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 8, 2026

Soto is close to a lock to be an All-Star even if another Mets player steps up; the same goes for Walker, who has broken out in his age-24 season. Crow-Armstrong is selected mainly for his elite defense, but he could certainly be supplanted.

A lot can change between now and when the final All-Star Game rosters are revealed, and Marsh will continue building his case to be selected. Through 61 games and 232 plate appearances, he has a .333/.366/.514 slash line with an OPS+ of 139.

All of those numbers would be career highs if he can sustain them. His 22.8% strikeout rate is the lowest of his career, and his 3.4% home run rate is tied for the best. He continues to find historic success with his batting average on balls in play, which is .405 thus far this year.

A uniquely productive, all-around player, an All-Star selection would solidify his standing amongst the best players in the game.

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