Welcome to the latest edition of the Phillies Beat newsletter. This version was written by Paul Casella, who has been based in Philadelphia since 2019 and covers the team alongside Todd Zolecki. |
NEW YORK -- Brandon Marsh is trying his best not to think about potentially being a first-time All-Star -- but it's impossible not to at this point.
In the midst of a breakout season, Marsh is a finalist to start the All-Star Game after receiving the second-most votes of any National League outfielder in Phase 1 of the voting process.
Now, Marsh will square off with the other five finalists in Phase 2, which begins at noon ET on Monday. The top three vote-getters from that group will form the National League's starting outfield at the Midsummer Classic. Being a first-time All-Star would be special enough on its own, but the fact that this year's game is in Philadelphia only adds to the excitement. |
"It would be really, really cool to be a part of that group this year, especially here in Philly," Marsh said recently. "You know, I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't on my mind, but I'm really not focused on that."
Marsh has been adamant about that last part -- and it shows.
Despite getting peppered with questions about the All-Star Game in recent weeks, Marsh's play hasn't changed. He continues to be one of the club's most consistent hitters, all while deferring praise and credit to his fellow Phillies.
"I'm really focused on just trying to be present here with these guys, and still just be a sponge to my teammates," Marsh said. "Just keep learning from them, and just trying to the best I can be."
Marsh has certainly done that this season. He entered Monday hitting .321 with 12 home runs, eight stolen bases and an .863 OPS. He's transformed from a platoon player over the past few years to a legitimate everyday threat in the heart of the Phillies' order.
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“I think Brandon's a great example of patience, and a guy getting better," interim manager Don Mattingly said. "Obviously, you have to have some level of success to stay here, right? So if he was just doing nothing, then you're not going to have patience like that, you're going to make him keep working his way through the Minors. But I think when he was having some sort of success and you're seeing that, then it allows you to have more patience and keep building on that.”
It's reached the point that Mattingly is penciling Marsh's name into the lineup on a daily basis. Though he's bouncing back and forth between left field and right field, that hasn't stopped Marsh from consistently making plays and always being in the right place -- just as he was on Friday night when he sprinted from right field to straightaway center field to catch a ball that center fielder Derek Hill had lost in the lights.
It's that type of play -- the hustle, the fundamentals and picking up his teammates -- that perfectly sums up Marsh's playing style. And while it's also just another reason that everyone in the Phillies clubhouse views Marsh as an All-Star, that's the furthest thing from his mind as he's sprinting around the outfield or the bases.
“I know I'm probably the worst for that, because I keep going back to the simplicity of just getting ready to play, keep playing, don't worry about that stuff, do your thing and you'll get rewarded," Mattingly said. "And I think that's what's going on with him. He's just, daily, having good at-bats, trying to win a game, playing good defense, trying to do everything right. And you get rewarded for being a good player."
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Phase 2 of All-Star balloting goes through noon ET on Thursday. Fans can vote once per 24-hour period by filling out a 2026 KONAMI eBaseball MLB All-Star Ballot. The ballot can also be found on all 30 MLB club sites, the MLB app and MLB Ballpark app.
Though voting resets for Phase 2, Marsh's 2,015,932 votes in Phase 1 were second only to Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (2,158,664) among the six NL outfield finalists in Phase 1. The other finalists include Ronald Acuña Jr. (1,723,945), Teoscar Hernández (1,569,932), Juan Soto (1,538,562) and Michael Harris II (1,479,135). Along with Marsh, the Phillies have two other finalists who advanced to Phase 2: second baseman Bryson Stott and third baseman Alec Bohm. Stott is competing against Atlanta's Ozzie Albies, while Bohm squares off with Max Muncy of the Dodgers. And, in typical Marsh fashion, he's spent more time over the past few weeks stumping for his teammates than he has for himself.
The full All-Star rosters, including both starters and reserves, will be announced on FOX at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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Derek Hill's home run robbery of Juan Soto on Friday night left his teammates -- and Soto himself -- in awe.
Here's a sampling of some of the best reactions to Hill's remarkable catch:
"Oh my gosh. That might have been the best play I've ever seen, and I don't think slow motion does it justice, because he was on a dead sprint and timed it up so perfectly. ... I think that might be the catch of the year, and it's one of the best plays I've ever seen." -- Trea Turner in postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia
"It's the best one I've ever seen in person. I look back and he's on a dead sprint toward the wall, and I’m like, ‘He's about to go get this thing.' And sure enough, he did. I just told him, 'Thank you very much.' Gave him a hug." -- Zack Wheeler, who was on the mound at the time
"Insane. It was probably one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. ... In person, for sure. He didn’t have time to time up the wall, he just had to go full speed and sacrifice his body.” -- Marsh, who had an up-close view of the catch as the right fielder
"It was an unbelievable catch. When you see the replay, when you see how impressive it was -- I mean, he didn't even have any timing, he just went straight to the wall and jumped. That was incredible." -- Soto
"I had a pretty good view of that. That was unbelievable. The replay was almost even better." -- Mattingly
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