The Angels announced they’re promoting top outfield prospect Brandon Marsh before today’s game against the Mariners. The 23-year-old will get the start in center field this afternoon, making his major league debut in the process. Infielder Kean Wong was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to create active roster space. Marsh was already selected to the 40-man roster last winter to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft.
Marsh is a consensus top prospect, checking in among the game’s top 50 farmhands in the estimation of each of Baseball America, Keith Law of the Athletic, and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs entering the season. Longenhagen was the most bullish, slotting him 15th overall (and ninth on FanGraphs’ updated board). He wrote preseason that Marsh possessed All-Star upside thanks to a combination of solid bat-to-ball skills, above-average raw power, and athleticism that enables him to play a quality center field. Those sentiments were echoed by BA and Law, with each outlet lauding his ceiling on both sides of the ball.
Selected by the Angels in the second round of the 2016 draft out of a Georgia high school, Marsh hit very well over his first few seasons in pro ball. He posted strong numbers from 2017-18 before a breakout 2019 campaign. Despite spending that year in a pitcher-friendly Double-A environment, Marsh hit a robust .300/.383/.428 over 412 plate appearances. That vaulted him near the top of prospect lists during the 2019-20 offseason, and he retained that status after spending all of last year at the alternate training site.
Marsh has spent this season with Salt Lake. A month-long injured list stint due to right shoulder inflammation has kept him to 110 plate appearances, over which he’s hit .255/.364/.468 with three homers. That’s less impressive than Marsh’s output at the lower levels — once one adjusts for the hitter-friendly Triple-A setting — but it’s still above-average production for a young player taking his first crack at the level.
The left-handed hitting Marsh has put up better than average numbers at every level of his minor league career, compiling an overall .288/.371/.440 slash line over four professional seasons. He’s demonstrated an advanced feel for the strike zone, walking at a lofty 11.2% clip against a slightly-elevated 24.3% strikeout rate.
Obviously, the center field job will go back to Mike Trout whenever the sport’s best player is ready to return from the injured list. Trout is still yet to embark upon a minor league rehab assignment, though, leaving room for Marsh to handle a regular workload for at least the next couple weeks. With Justin Upton also on the IL and recent free agent signee Adam Eaton in right field, there should be room for Marsh to stick around even after Trout’s return if his performance so merits.
Whether or not Marsh sticks with the big league club for good, his promotion comes late enough in the season to prevent him from accruing a full year of major league service. Marsh won’t reach free agency until after the 2027 season at the earliest. The window for Super Two eligibility has also passed, meaning he won’t be eligible for arbitration until at least 2025. Future optional assignments could push back that service timeline.
Let’s goooooo! Finally nice to see some contributors from the Angels farm after Dipoto completely drained it.
Marsh > adell
If you pick Marsh, that means Adell is definitely better. Until you made your pick, it could have gone either way, but since my rug knows more about baseball than you, you can’t be right.
Your rug does many things including hiding that embarrassing male pattern baldness of yours but it does not know more about baseball than Tatsuey.
If I had a toupee, it would still be smarter than that guy.
Yep Adell better than Marsh confirmed.
HAHAHA YOUR SO FUNNY
Why is mail pattern baldness embarrassing? John Wayne, Bruce Willis, Sean Connery, William Shatner, John Glen?
I don’t have it, but I can’t believe I’d be embarrassed by it.
Dipoto had no chance to draft guys early with Moreno forcing signings like Hamilton and Pujols
Would have been a different narrative if Arte Moreno wasn’t making controlling moves and they spent the money on Greinke instead of Hamilton
You don’t lose a top ten pick when you sign a free agent… do you? This last pick was the highest rated pick this century.
They lost a 19 pick with Pujols. They didn’t lose a first round pick in 2015. So no.
Also helped mean they hovered around 500. Not good enough to really matter, not bad enough to get a great pick. Team became irrelevant
But they lost their 2012 1st rounder for Pujols, 2012 2nd rounder for CJ Wilson and 2013 1st rounder for Hamilton
Dipoto had already all but been kicked out of the Angels front office by 2015, making it official a few days after the 15 draft. The 2015 draft, likely 2014, and maybe even 2013, are certainly what Scioscia wanted, not Jerry
So they didn’t tank a season like a lot of other teams. Wow that Moreno is a monster trying to put a good team on the field.
I like the fact that the Angels are the only team in baseball that has never lost more than 95 games.
Dipoto quit on the team. He may have lost the confidence of the players and management staff (and possibly ownership) before he quit, but he did the worst thing you can do to your team and quit on them. I dont know what the mariners were thinking giving him a job.
He was never trying to “put a good team” on the field – he was very blatantly buying one or two people he thought would put people in the stands, and surrounding them with leftover parts. It’s exactly what he has done the 6 years following Dipoto too
It’s meant the team is never good, but the attention grabbing stars he bought, plus Trout, has meant they are never pathetic either. Just irrelevant, and always with bad draft picks because of it
He blatantly runs the team not to win, and not to get better, but instead just to make as much money as he can for himself
It also means whoever the GM team is, they are meaningless, as his tinkering with the expensive bats he insists they sign makes it impossible to either rebuild or buy needed supplemental pieces to push the team over the hump
Dipoto didn’t quit on the team, Dipoto wasn’t allowed to be the GM when he was there so he left (and that continued with the next GM Arte hired too) Everyone in the game could recognize that, so a team quickly jumped on the opportunity when he became available
Angels since Dipoto left – 381-425 (.472) at a $1.12 billion cost
Mariners since Dipoto hired – 402-406 (.498) at a $874 million cost
And because they did it, Seattle has a better team on a much lower budget
took em long enough
I remember watching him in San Bernardino 3 years ago. Good ball player.
He’s been hurt …which goes for most days hes been on any roster
He only made it back to AAA on July 9th after a few rehab games in Arizona. He had missed all of June, and was injured coming out of ST as well so wasn’t on the AAA opening day roster
Total he has played just 24 out of a possible 66 games in Salt Lake
im sorta half joking.
Burner?
He was hurt. Last time I checked, you can’t call up and injured player.
Kids going to be.a STUD
He’s been raking in AAA since coming back from that shoulder injury. Can’t wait to see him play.
What player does he compare to?
He’s a huge, athletic player who is a plus-defender in CF to go with speed and a lot of raw power. He will be one of the more athletic big men in MLB at a listed 6’4″, 215 -> He looks even bigger. He has also shown good plate discipline with walk rates > 10%. What’s held him back are whiffs and quality of contact and his development on those fronts have been slowed by frequent injuries. That’s led to lower batting averages and game power that is much less than his raw power. As for comparisons, maybe a Joey Gallo with more speed but less power, but that same combo of power/speed/defence/high BB-rate three-outcomes type.
Naw, he has a hit tool
I’ve heard Charlie Blackmon as a comp
I think the beard helps
I see Jim Edmonds type player, good bat to ball contact when not injured. Gold glove caliber fielder.
Jim Edmonds is a borderline hall of farmer? Nothing like unrealistic expectations to start a career.
Bob Tolan
Waaaay less power.
If he’s only as good as Tolan then he’s a complete bust
They are comparing talent/tools not projecting a career
Having an eye is a talent. Bat to ball skills is a talent. I don’t see it.
What the? Where in the heck did you pull Bob from lol gotta give it to that guy, got a 15 year career out of 3 solid seasons.
Most top mlb players strike out alot now a days but will see how he does
Maybe a lefty Jayson Werth?
I think that is a much better comp. I’d have to think about it, but that’s a better comp. 36 wAR player. Edmonds WAR is double that.
So because of the unkept Duck Dynasty look, his ceiling is as high as other Duck Dynasty looking players like Charlie Blackmon and Jason Werth. You guys are hilarious.
Angel Fan. Werth is a great comp. Big, hit for power, could run, great eye, could throw. Marsh is likely to be better defensively but other than that, it’s as good a comp as anything I can think of.
Shin-Soo Choo. Good eye, 280. 20 something HR. Runs a little. Better defensively won’t run as much.
Nice player.
He reminds me alot of cody bellinger of the dodgers when he was smashing , I watch about 30 games with him playing over last 2 years I’m a dodgers fan but I’m a fan of this kid think he is gonna be a very good player
Thank God! I was afraid they were going to promote a competent pitcher. Whew!
They can’t promote what they don’t have.
They do have Detmers who looks to be near MLB ready and a potential 2/3 starter in time. It would be surprising if he’s not called up in the next 4-6 weeks.
Nope. On the next round of prospect updates hes gonna bea. top 25 guy. He added 5 mph and Kieth Law and the bunch are starting to project 1/Ace upside
Where’s the stupid ass comment “But can he pitch”
Give it time
cAn He PiTcH
I mean seeing as they have Ohtani… it’s not as stupid as you’d think.
Marsh before Adell. I think that’s the right decision.
Yes, correct decision on not promoting Adell
But no, not correct decision
He needs development time still, having missed most all of it to injuries. He’s only been off his most recent DL stint for a week
They’re rushing him more than they have most other players they have recently screwed up by rushing
Agreed. I don’t see the reason to rush him up. They’re not making the playoffs so what’s the point?
Theyre 4 back. They are squarely in the hunt
More than likely he is up for ten days or so and will return to AAA when Trout and Upton are back. If he takes off and shows he is ready then you send someone else down or you lose a player by trade.
bkbk2 hours ago
Theyre 4 back.
=================================
They are 5.5 back. Just as importantly, they are in 10th place in a 5-man race. They need to play .620+. the rest of the way.
A bit like Adell with the Ks, but Marsh has more walks.
Marsh turns 24 later this year and in 2019 in AA has a .137 wRC+ and whiff rate of 22%. It’s true that his lack of contact skills hurt his game power, which badly lags his raw power, but even without that power development, he projects now as the only Angels option who can play an average to plus CF while putting up offensive numbers that are only a bit below league average. (his MLB projected wRC+ is 85). His injuries have stunted his development, no doubt. Whether he can develop better contact skills in the majors is a question of his mental and emotional makeup so let’s hope the Angels have some confidence in those areas. It’s not like he will have the weight of the world on his shoulders; He will be batting 7th. Trout is back in about two or three weeks. If Marsh holds his own, the Angels keep him; if not, getting a couple of week of playing time in LA will not hurt his development.
I don’t know if it’s a based on being ready decision. They can bring up Marsh without worrying about a ticking clock. Adell poses all kinds of service issues. So if it’s one or the other, you bring up Marsh. Marsh is also better defensively and can play centerfield.
Adell went three for five yesterday with another Home Run and a double. Either way, the Angels need outfielders.
You feel they’re burning an option they may need in the future, and giving him some service time, just for a day or two of maybe he can possibly fill in?
This is exactly why you have disposable players on the AAA roster. It’s foolish to call up Marsh now for a throwaway appearance. They either hope he’s ready (unlikely, he’s been hurt until this week) or want to show him off as trade bait (the more likely scenario)
If they send him down in a couple weeks, it’s not a foolish call up. The outfield next year can be Upton, Trout and Adell. Marsh spend late April in AAA and the Angels get him until he’s 31
@darkstar61 No shot they are displaying him for trade bait. They Angels have 3 top 100 prospects in the minors, Adell, Marsh, and Adams. They have 2 corner outfield spots to fill. Adell and Marsh are better suited to the corner outfielder position with Adams being more of the Byron Buxton type. Marsh may take over CF duties as Trout ages. I believe the plan would be Marsh, Trout, and Adell in the outfield. I expect Adams to be traded at some point, though he is not putting up numbers at the moment. I believe the plan is to get Marsh exposure to MLB pitching. We have seen even good players like Trout and Walsh struggle when initially called up. Wander Franco is also struggling for the Rays and he has been hailed as the next big thing for years. I believe the Angels will have either Adell or Marsh to start the season in right field next year. Adell failed miserably last year but is making strides in the right direction this year. . This is Marsh’s shot to show what he can do. His OBP and defense are far better than Adell at this point.
Marsh has been on IL until about a week ago. He played just 8 games, only 5 of them in the field, only 4 of them in center
In those 8 games he struk out 29.5% of the time, walking just 5.5%. Both numbers are worse than Adell, who is notoriously pathetic in the skill areas. He’s likely rusty right now because, well, he’s been on IL for more than a month
And not only are all the old PCL stadiums extreme hitters parks, they are also still using a 2019-20 juiced ball. Whatever hitting numbers you see from anyone are meaningless
They are not calling Marsh up because they expect him to play well, there is almost no chance of that happening. And it is known it will be only a week or two call with Trout and Upton back in short order. So showcase is only logical option
Halo11Fan
Adell poses all kinds of service issues.
======================================================
This was the foolishness of promoting him last year. He obviously wasn’t close to ready. According to B-R, Adell has already burned thru one year of service time. Had they not promoted him last year, they could’ve promoted him next April 30th, giving him the AAA time he needs, and kept him thru 2027 instead of 2026.
I don’t think they have burned a year yet. I think they can bring him up in mid September and still get another six years.
I believe he has 153 days of service time. You need 172 days for a full year.
It’s possible. I go with B-R simply because it is easy to find.
Showcasing him to trade for a starting pitcher.
I think this may be the case. Adell, Adams, Marsh, Trout. There’s an odd man out there for the future Angels OF.
Absolutely not. The Angels just drafted 20 pitchers. Since you don’t know which one will fail, you keep all three.
I understand that logic, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them go. I like Marsh, but he seems like the most obvious to get traded.
I feel like the one to trade is actually Matt Thaiss. He’s a 1B/3B and with Rendon’s contract and Walsh’s value, now’s the time to get something for Thaiss. Huge return? Probably not. But maybe a decent RP?
Or they are going to trade Lagares (the Yanks are desperate for OF).
Showcasing isn’t a thing. Other teams are very aware of Marsh and what he can potentially be.
And players fail or get injured all the time. 4 OFs for 3 spots when two of them have had little or no opportunity at the MLB level certainly isn’t a surplus you feel you need to trade from.
Showcase is most definitely a thing – and that is especially the case right now, after no minor league games in 2020 and scouts not traveling to start 2021
Watch him become what Yankees and fans swore count Frazier was gonna be lol ! The count is out
Wouldn’t right off Frazier just yet
Well if he just needs a change of scenery that cost should be on the Yankees and the new team should get him for free ! Or Yankees can just keep waiting on the count
I tend to agree this is all about trading for controllable starting pitching.
What controllable starting pitcher.?
Is BatDad going to be in the stands for his debut?
Oh good, now they can finally trade Adell.
Hopefully he hasn’t tanked his value with that poor showing.
Dude did alright.. hit the ball hard last ab… Got the jitters out now off to smash on some A’s pitching We need this next series!
He’s made some progress, but is still a strikeout machine. Over the past 28 days, he has a 27/11 K/W and 4 HRs in 94 ABs. That’s an OPS of .853 against a league average of .823. For a guy with little defensive value, that’s not a lot.
Glad to see Angels finally bringing prospects up, they can’t be any worse than a lot of their players, the time up will help them adjust