Brandon Marsh

The Encouraging Developments Of Brandon Marsh

By Darragh McDonald | May 9, 2023 at 7:56pm CDT

Just as the trade deadline was approaching last year, the Phillies sent sent catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels in order to acquire center fielder Brandon Marsh. The latter was one of the top prospects in the league a few years ago but was relatively overshadowed on an Angels team that had stars like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Marsh was perhaps best known for trying to make his head suit his surname, as he didn’t do too much to stand out with the bat.

Making his debut in 2021, he got into 70 games and took 260 trips to the plate. He struck out in 35% of those, walked in 7.7% of them and hit just a pair of home runs. He finished that year with a .254/.317/.356 batting line and an 85 wRC+, indicating he was 15% below league average. Up until the trade last year, it was more of the same. In 323 plate appearances for the Halos prior to the deal, he struck out 36.2% of the time, walked at a 6.8% clip and slashed .226/.284/.353 for a 79 wRC+.

The move to the Phillies seems to have been a turning point, however. His walk rate actually dropped to 4.3% after coming to Philadelphia last year, but his strikeout also dipped to 29.7%. That was still much higher than league average but a noticeable improvement from his own track record. That led to a .288/.319/.455 batting line and 114 wRC+. Here in 2023, he’s off to a tremendous .314/.402/.578 start and a 164 wRC+.

There’s one big caveat to throw out here, as Marsh currently has a .444 batting average on balls in play that no hitter could sustain. Last year’s league leader, for instance, was Paul Goldschmidt and his .368 mark. Once Marsh sees his BABIP figure regress, his overall numbers won’t be quite so gaudy. But digging under the hood reveals there’s still plenty of things to be encouraged by. He’s striking out at a 29.9% clip that is definitely still high but more manageable than the roughly 35% clip he was at previously. He’s also walking at an amazing 12% clip, well above this year’s 8.8% league average. Considering how rarely he took free passes before, that’s an excellent sign.

The batted ball metrics also shed some positive light on the better results, as basically everything has improved relative to last year. His barrel rate is up from 7.4% to 10.4%. His average exit velocity was 89.2 mph last year but is at 92 mph in 2023. His hard hit rate has gone from 38.2% to 47.8%. It’s still a fairly small sample of 117 plate appearances but he’s striking out less, walking more, hitting the ball harder and doing so more often. And it doesn’t seem to have come out of nowhere.

Back in October, when the Phillies were in the World Series, Marsh and hitting coach Kevin Long spoke to Sam Blum of The Athletic about the changes that had been made to his swing. “I devised a game plan on what I was going to do with his swing,” Long said. “And the mechanics of his swing. I always start by getting guys closer to the hitting position than further away. So we spread him out. We got him into his legs. It worked.”

All of these offensive improvements are a great coup since Marsh was already a valuable contributor as a glove-first center fielder. Defensive Runs Saved doesn’t seem to like him in center much, putting him slightly below average in each of his three seasons thus far. Ultimate Zone Rating has him in the positive range, though, and Outs Above Average has him at +5 through 1,251 innings. Marsh is also ranked in the 88th percentile in terms of sprint speed and has 17 stolen bases in his career thus far.

With all of those traits, FanGraphs calculated him as having produced 2.4 wins above replacement in 204 games over 2021 and 2022, even while hitting at a subpar rate. Now with much better offense this year, he’s already at 1.3 fWAR in just 33 games, more than halfway to his previous total in a fraction of the time. As mentioned earlier, he’s due for a bit of regression, but there are reasons to suspect he’ll eventually settle somewhere that’s much better than his previous work.

The 25-year-old came into this year with one year and 78 days of service time, meaning he won’t qualify for arbitration until after 2024 and isn’t slated for free agency until after 2027. For a Phillies team that has spent big on players including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos, and would also like to get Aaron Nola signed to an extension, getting big value out of an overlooked player like Marsh is an important victory.

Phillies Activate Brandon Marsh, Designate Bradley Zimmer For Assignment

By James Hicks | August 27, 2022 at 1:06pm CDT

The Phillies have activated outfielder Brandon Marsh from the 10-day IL, the team announced today. Outfielder Bradley Zimmer was designated for assignment, opening a spot for Marsh on the active roster.

The 24-year-old second-year outfielder, who arrived in Philadelphia in a deadline deal that sent catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels, had hardly had a chanced to get his feet wet in Philly before a sprained left ankle sent him to the IL. The injury was evidently fairly minor, however, as Marsh’s activation comes on his first day of eligibility.

Marsh will likely take over center field duties for the Phils, though he may also share time with the versatile Matt Vierling, who had split time in center with Zimmer in Marsh’s absence. Given yesterday’s return of Bryce Harper to the DH slot, which forces both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to play the field to keep their bats in the lineup, center field takes on added importance in Philadelphia.

Fortunately for the Philly faithful, Marsh has rated out as a bit above-average defensively by most metrics, though his offensive production has lagged a bit. For his short career, he owns a .239/.299/.352 batting line (good for an 81 wRC+), including a .228/.285/.349 mark (78 wRC+) in 2022, though playing his home games in Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park should help those numbers.

The 29-year-old Zimmer, who also rates out as above-average with the glove but owns a .215/.300/.337 career triple-slash, may opt to stick it out with the Phillies if he goes unclaimed, though he could be picked up by a contender in need of a glove-first reserve outfielder. Still, he’ll likely be looking for his fourth (or fifth) major league team in the offseason. After appearing in parts of five season with Cleveland, he began 2022 with the Blue Jays before he was claimed by the Phillies the same day Marsh hit the IL.

Phillies Claim Bradley Zimmer

By Steve Adams | August 18, 2022 at 1:39pm CDT

The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve claimed outfielder Bradley Zimmer off waivers from the Blue Jays. He’ll take the active roster spot of center fielder Brandon Marsh, who’s headed to the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left ankle. Bryce Harper was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Zimmer, a former first-round pick and top prospect in Cleveland, was traded to the Jays on Opening Day and held a roster spot throughout the season due to his glovework and baserunning prowess. He’s posted a disastrous .105/.209/.237 batting line on the season, but that’s come in a minuscule sample of 87 plate appearances spread across 77 games.

Zimmer has never been a great hitter in the Majors, but he came into the 2022 season as a .225/.310/.347 hitter, so it’s fair to wonder whether he might’ve fared a bit better at the plate had he been given more than five to six plate appearances per week. At the time of his DFA, Zimmer had played in 22 games and received just 14 plate appearances over a span of more than six weeks.

At least in the short term, the Phils could have more at-bats to give Zimmer. He’ll give them a plus defender to slot in between lumbering sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield, providing some needed range to help offset the defensive deficiencies the Phillies face in the corners.

Marsh, acquired in a deadline deal sending top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels, hit .250/.294/.313 in 34 plate appearances with the Phillies before sustaining his current injury on a play at the center field wall. Like Zimmer, he’s a plus defender in center, though Marsh is also a recent second-round pick and top prospect whom the Phils hope can be their everyday option in center for the foreseeable future. It seems likely that once Marsh returns, Zimmer could again be squeezed off the roster, although with rosters expanding to 28 in September, perhaps the Phils will hang onto Zimmer to give them a second plus glove in the outfield as a late-game replacement.

Harper’s move to the 60-day injured list is procedural and does not reset his timeline for a return. The “60-day” term on the 60-day IL is retroactive to whenever a player was first placed on the IL, and Harper has been aiming for a September return anyway. In other words, it’s a technicality that is not reflective of any snags in his rehab or any setbacks. He’s been working to mend a broken thumb sustained when he was plunked by an errant Blake Snell fastball. Harper also has a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, which has limited him to DH work due to an inability to throw from right field. That’ll likely remain his role once he returns next month.

Phillies To Acquire Brandon Marsh

By Darragh McDonald | August 2, 2022 at 3:15pm CDT

The Phillies and Angels are discussing a deal that would send Brandon Marsh to Philadelphia, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal has been agreed to, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Murray adds that catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe will be heading the other way.

The Phillies have been known to be looking for a center field addition for some time and seems like they have found one in Marsh. The 24-year-old was a high-profile prospect in recent years, having been selected in the second round of the 2016 draft. He then hit his way up the minor leagues, showing a penchant for walks but also a few too many strikeouts, while providing excellent outfield defense. That earned him a spot on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, coming in at #43 in 2020 and #38 last year.

Since reaching the majors last year, his output has been a bit of a mixed bag. He’s still providing very good defense, having already accrued ten Outs Above Average in 163 career games. However, his strikeout numbers have grown when facing the higher caliber of pitching in the major leagues. His 35.7% career strikeout rate is well above league average, which is 22.3% this year. He’s hit .226/.284/.353 in his big league tenure thus far, producing a wRC+ of 82, or 18% below league average. However, he’s still been worth 1.8 wins above replacement, in the estimation of FanGraphs.

For the Phils, they’ve given most of their center field playing time to Odubel Herrera and Matt Vierling this year, neither of whom have done enough to secure the job. Herrera has hit .238/.279/.378 for a wRC+ of 81, with defensive metrics split on his glovework. He has 3 Outs Above Average on the year but -2 Defensive Runs Saved. Vierling, meanwhile, has hit .240/.301/.335 for a 79 wRC+, with 1 OAA and -2 DRS.

Marsh may not provide an immediate upgrade with the bat but should at least have a floor of improved defense. Despite their 55-47 record that has them clinging to the final NL Wild Card spot, the Phils are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Their -17 OAA is 27th among MLB teams and their -24 DRS is 26th. Marsh will finish this year with between one and two years of MLB service time, meaning he still won’t have reached arbitration eligibility and will come with five remaining years of control.

As for the Angels, their 43-59 record has them well out of contention and clear sellers. Marsh wasn’t an obvious trade candidate given his lengthy stretch of remaining control, but they’ve dealt with an outfield logjam this year. Marsh has lined up next to Mike Trout and Taylor Ward most nights, with Jo Adell getting squeezed down to the minors. With Marsh now out of the picture, that should clear some runway for Adell to get more consistent MLB playing time.

They will also add an interesting catching prospect to their system in O’Hoppe. The 22-year-old was selected by the Phillies in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft. Since then, he’s been considered one of the top 30 prospects in the system by Baseball America in four straight seasons, climbing all the way up to #3 at this year’s midseason report. On their most recent list of the top 100 prospects across the entire sport, he came in at #89. FanGraphs is even more bullish, giving him the #50 slot. He has the reputation of a strong defensive catcher but has also been hitting well in the minors. He’s spent the entirety of this season in Double-A, hitting .269/.385/.492 for a 139 wRC+.

Marlins Discussed Trades Involving Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Marsh

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2021 at 9:45pm CDT

Prior to the trade deadline, the Marlins were looking for outfield help, and explored what would have been a pair of major deals. Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of The Miami Herald report that the Marlins checked in with the Pirates about All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds, and also discussed a fascinating deal with the Angels that would have seen Miami acquire outfielder Brandon Marsh in exchange for Max Meyer, the third overall pick of the 2020 draft.

It’s probably safe to assume that almost every team in baseball at least asked the Pirates about Reynolds, who has delivered great results in two of his three MLB seasons. Reynolds has rebounded from a sophomore slump to hit .309/.388/.525 with 18 homers over 425 plate appearances this season, with an .385 xwOBA that ranks among the league’s best.

Reynolds turns 27 in January and is controlled through the 2025 season, making him one of the few assets that the rebuilding Pirates weren’t looking to move in general, and certainly not for anything short of a huge return. “Pittsburgh wanted more than the Marlins were willing to consider,” Jackson/Mish write, so talks ultimately didn’t pan out.

As for the negotiations with the Angels, other players may have been involved in the proposed deal, so it wouldn’t have been only a straight Marsh-for-Meyer swap. Such major trades of top prospects are rare, though this particular move would have addressed needs for both clubs. It isn’t any secret that the Angels are looking to add young arms, as evidenced by their two deadline day trades that netted five minor league pitchers, or their 20-player draft class consisting of nothing but hurlers.

Meyer might already be pretty close to the majors, after throwing three years of college ball and making his pro debut this year at Double-A. The right-hander has a 1.93 ERA over 70 innings for Double-A Pensacola and ranks 38th on Baseball America’s midseason top 100 prospects list.

As impressive as Meyer has been, he is only one of several impressive pitchers at both the MLB and minor league levels of Miami’s organization. With this surplus in mind, Jackson/Mish write that the Marlins are looking to deal a pitcher for “a front-line offensive prospect” like Marsh, who made his Major League debut earlier this month.

Marsh had an even higher placement on BA’s midseason list, ranking as the 26th-best prospect in all of baseball. His first taste of Triple-A ball was limited to 24 games due to shoulder inflammation, but he hit well over that limited playing time and earned his first look at the MLB level. Seen as a center fielder of the future, Marsh would be a natural replacement for Starling Marte up the middle in Miami, and the Angels might be willing to move such a player for premium pitching talent since L.A. has another big outfield prospect in Jo Adell.

Between Marte, Adam Duvall, and Corey Dickerson, the Marlins have traded three veteran outfielders in a little over a month’s time, making the position a target area for the offseason. Jesus Sanchez and the newly-acquired Bryan De La Cruz will be in the mix as potential starters, though Jackson/Mish write that Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison aren’t seen as long-term options. For Harrison, “his future with the organization is uncertain” after an internal matter that reportedly involved Harrison having to be restrained after an argument with Marte.

Angels Promote Brandon Marsh

By Anthony Franco | July 18, 2021 at 2:38pm CDT

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.

Angels Select Junior Guerra, Option Brandon Marsh

By TC Zencka | March 16, 2021 at 12:41pm CDT

The Angels selected the contract of 36-year-old Junior Guerra today, the team announced. By adding him to their 40-man roster, their roster is now full. This likely means that Guerra will make the opening day roster.

Manager Joe Maddon has a reputation for his outside-the-box thinking, but he can be fairly traditional in the way he leans on veteran contributors out of the bullpen. He knows Guerra well, having both made the NL Central home from 2016 to 2019. Guerra spent those seasons with the Brewers, for whom he moved back and forth from the rotation to the pen before finally becoming a full-time pen arm in 2019. He made 25 appearances covering 23 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks last year with a 3.04 ERA/4.12 FIP and better-than-usual 50.8 percent groundball rate. Some of the underlying metrics don’t love Guerra’s work, as he finished with a below-average 20.4 percent strikeout rate and well-below-average 14.6 percent walk rate.

The Angels also optioned outfielder Brandon Marsh to the minors. The 23-year-old is a promising outfield prospect, but he has yet to play above Double-A, and he has dealt with a minor arm injury this spring. Furthermore, the Angels don’t have a ton of room to spare in the outfield with veterans Mike Trout, Justin Upton, and Dexter Fowler populating the roster and top prospect Jo Adell knocking on the door. Juan Lagares also remains in contention for a roster spot, while Jared Walsh or David Fletcher could see time in the outfield if need be.

AL West Notes: Adell, Marsh, Flexen, Kozma

By Mark Polishuk | March 13, 2021 at 7:02pm CDT

Jo Adell was removed during the second inning today’s game after the Angels outfielder collided with the wall in search of a fly ball. The move was made for precautionary reasons, as Adell said he “felt something” after the crash, manager Joe Maddon told the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris and other reporters. Team trainers didn’t find anything in the way of a hyper-extension after examining Adell, so the youngster may have escaped any real harm.

Considered one of the game’s top prospects prior to his MLB debut last season, Adell is a big part of the Halos’ future outfield plans, along with fellow up-and-comer Brandon Marsh. A lingering shoulder injury from last season has kept Marsh from any outfield action this spring, though he is expected to be back on the grass next week and Marsh tells MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he believes he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Adell and Marsh will both likely begin the season at the Angels’ alternate training site and then with their Triple-A team, before factoring into the Major League roster at some point during the year.

Angels Select Brandon Marsh, Chris Rodriguez

By Steve Adams | November 20, 2020 at 2:52pm CDT

The Angels announced Friday that they’ve selected two of their top prospects to the 40-man roster: outfielder Brandon Marsh and righty Chris Rodriguez. Both would’ve otherwise been eligible for selection in next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The Angels’ roster is now up to 38 players.

Marsh, 22, has been considered the Angels’ best prospect behind Jo Adell for some time now. The 2016 second-rounder spent the 2019 season in Double-A, where he posted a hearty .300/.383/.428 clip in an overwhelmingly pitcher-friendly setting — good for a 137 wRC+. He entered the 2020 season as a consensus Top 100 prospect and still holds that designation, ranking 30th at FanGraphs, 38th at Baseball America and 73rd at MLB.com. He draws praise for plus speed, a plus arm and plenty of range to play center field, although he obviously won’t be manning that position for the Halos. Marsh also draws good marks for raw power that he’s yet to tap into, as well as an above-average hit tool. There was never any doubt that he’d be protected from Rule 5 status.

Rodriguez’s selection to the roster is similarly unsurprising. Although the 2016 fourth-rounder has barely pitched since 2017 due to a back injury that eventually required surgery, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen writes that when healthy, Rodriguez has better stuff than any pitcher in the Angels’ farm system. He’s pitched just 77 2/3 frames since being drafted and has a lackluster 4.75 ERA to show for it, but scouting reports on Rodriguez praise him for possessing a true four-pitch mix, including a plus heater and a pair of potentially plus breaking balls, as well as the command to locate that arsenal.

Angels’ Brandon Marsh Could Miss Spring

By Connor Byrne | February 26, 2020 at 12:28am CDT

Angels outfield prospect Brandon Marsh is battling a left elbow strain that could keep him out all spring and possibly into the season, according to manager Joe Maddon (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). Marsh suffered the injury while trying to make a diving catch last Sunday, but the good news is that it’s to his non-throwing elbow.

Even if healthy, Marsh wouldn’t have been in position to make the Angels’ Opening Day roster, but this is still a disappointing development for him and the team. The 22-year-old has emerged as one of baseball’s top farmhands since the Angels selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. MLB.com ranks Marsh as the 79th-best prospect in the sport and notes that he has an opportunity to debut in the majors sometime during the upcoming season.

So far, Marsh hasn’t even made it to the Triple-A level, and this injury will only make it more difficult for him to get to the majors in the near term. Marsh, though, was impressive last year in his first taste of Double-A ball, where he batted .300/.383/.428 with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases in 412 plate appearances. It remains to be seen when or if he’ll emerge as a major league option for the Angels, however, considering the team’s loaded outfield picture. The Angels have the best player in baseball, center fielder Mike Trout, another proven veteran in left fielder Justin Upton and an elite prospect who’s nearing the majors in Jo Adell as the most prominent outfielders in the organization.

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