Brandon Marsh doesn’t have a hit in April and the Phillies have major problems

Brandon Marsh isn’t the reason the Phillies are 9-6 and have dropped back-to-back series. But he sure isn’t helping.

Yes, the headline is a little dramatic — but guess what? At least we’re being honest about it. That’s accountability in the free press. Try getting that from a national broadcast that thinks Trea Turner plays second base.

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Still, there’s no sugarcoating this: Marsh has been a black hole at the plate, and the Phillies outfield — once again — looks like it’s going to be a season-long eyesore. Fans screaming all offseason about Dave Dombrowski not doing enough? The ones banging the table about Alec Bohm’s disappearing act? They might’ve been annoyingly loud, but they weren’t wrong.

Take a look at this disaster.

Phillies offensive output by position (MLB rank)

• Center Field: .160 AVG (28th), .220 SLG (28th), .508 OPS (27th), -0.2 fWAR (28th)
• Left Field: .159 AVG (27th), .256 SLG (25th), .537 OPS (24th), -0.3 fWAR (26th)
• Third Base: .150 AVG (26th), .167 SLG (30th), .331 OPS (30th), -0.7 fWAR (30th)

That’s not just bad — that’s unwatchable. That’s “2021 Phillies bullpen” bad.

Alec Bohm, once penciled in as a middle-of-the-order bat, has been demoted to seventh in the lineup. Left field has turned into a revolving door — Weston Wilson, Cristian Pache, Jake Cave flashbacks, anyone?

Even Edmundo Sosa got a start out there just to get his hot bat in the lineup. And you better not even think about Googling Logan O’Hoppe’s 2025 stats unless you want to ruin your day.

As for Brandon Marsh, Topper’s giving him the benefit of the doubt, running him out against left-handers for the first time in his career. Maybe that’s the issue — maybe it’s just an adjustment period. But at what point does “adjustment period” turn into “we know what he is”?

We’re probably already there.

Here’s what the numbers say:

• Alec Bohm since May 1, 2024:
  125 games, .246/.289/.383 (.672 OPS), 11 HR, 70 RBI, 85 wRC+
• Brandon Marsh since July 1, 2024:
  82 games, .214/.301/.383 (.684 OPS), 10 HR, 33 RBI, 92 wRC+

That’s not a “slow start.” That’s a clear trend.

It’s April 14, and Brandon Marsh still doesn’t have a hit this month. Not one. The man is on the active roster and still has an April batting average of .000.

The Phillies are a good team with serious October ambitions. They can’t afford to let the outfield be this soft for another summer.

Whether it’s Weston Wilson off the IL, a trade, or a Triple-A promotion for Justin Crawford that comes faster than anyone expected — something’s gotta give.

Marsh is a vibes guy. He plays hard, runs well, and makes highlight-reel catches. But if you’re hitting like a pitcher in a DH league, those good vibes only go so far.

The Phillies don’t need Marsh to be a star. But they do need him to be a major league hitter.

Right now, he’s not.

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