Phillies centerfielder Brandon Marsh needs to play more against left-handed pitching.
The Phillies seem to be using a platoon in centerfield to begin the season. Brandon Marsh began the year as the starting centerfielder, but the club acquired Cristian Pache from the Oakland Athletics just after the season began. Now Marsh has been starting against right-handed pitchers and Pache has been getting more starts against left-handed pitching.
One of the knocks on Marsh was that he was unable to hit left-handed pitching. He did struggle against left-handers in previous seasons. The concern was legitimate. However, over the offseason, Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski gave some insight into how they viewed Marsh. He said that they did not look at him as a platoon player. So now why is he being used in a platoon?
One possible reason is that Rob Thomson is making the personnel decisions on the field— not Dombrowski. Thomson has been very matchup-conscious to begin the season. He has been splitting up the left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters in the lineup. He also split up the left-handed pitchers in the rotation by putting Taijuan Walker in between left-handers Bailey Falter and Matt Strahm. Playing to matchups is not a bad thing and Thomson is a much more accomplished baseball mind than myself, so this is not meant to call him out, however, last season he seemed to make more decisions based on feel and knowing his players. Managing in a way that combines these styles is what worked best for him in 2022.
The season is still young, and any statistical analysis is a very small sample size. In that sample size though, Marsh has hit well against left-handed pitching to this point. In six at-bats against left-handers this year, Marsh has two hits— both doubles— and an RBI. One of those doubles came off New York Yankees tough left-hander, Nestor Cortes. He has more at-bats against right-handed pitching. In his thirteen at-bats against right-handers Marsh has four hits— one of them being a mammoth 436ft. home run in New York.
Marsh will likely struggle against some left-handed pitchers. He is expected to be a bottom of the order bat who can make things happen on the base paths and be a solid glove in centerfield. The Phillies will not be able to get a good read on his ability to hit left-handed pitching if he does not face left-handed pitchers. The alternative to Marsh playing centerfield has been the newly acquired Pache— who is a right-handed hitter. To say that his first few games as a member of the Phillies has been tumultuous would be an understatement. Pache has come to the plate a few times already in big spots with runners on base and he has not put up competitive at-bats. His arm in centerfield has also looked suspect in his few appearances.
Marsh can be a catalyst for this club. He plays with intensity and has fun on and off the field. At this point, the Phillies should use him as an everyday player, until he falters against left-handers. Hopefully that does not happen, and he is able to be a reliable everyday player for the Phillies for the foreseeable future. Marsh is still just 25 years-old and is under team control through 2027. The club would be wise to find out what they have in Marsh before making him part of a platoon.
