Phillies’ outfield rotation is still searching for answers

Rob Thomson is still shuffling the deck in the Phillies’ outfield, and with September right around the corner, it doesn’t feel like there’s a clear answer.

On Wednesday, it was Brandon Marsh who drew the short straw. Normally he sits against lefties, but this time it was against Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean. Instead, the Phillies rolled out Max Kepler in left, Harrison Bader in center, and Nick Castellanos in right.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Since August 9, when the four-man rotation started, the outfielders have gone in different directions:

• Bader: 15-for-45 (.333), .903 OPS — including an insane 10-for-18 (.556) stretch with a 1.470 OPS in his last six.
• Kepler: 11-for-31 (.355), .871 OPS.
• Castellanos: Just 10-for-51 overall (.196), .535 OPS — but heating up lately with a 9-for-27 run (.333, .919 OPS).
• Marsh: 7-for-45 (.156), .404 OPS.

Marsh has the double off Kodai Senga on Monday to show for it, but those moments have been rare. This stretch stings more because Marsh had clawed his way back from a brutal start to the year.

After hitting .095 with a .387 OPS through April, he turned it around from May through July, slashing .314/.371/.486 over 75 games and raising his average to .278 with a .777 OPS. Now, just as the Phillies need stability heading into the stretch run, Marsh has slipped again.

Topper’s Approach

Asked if he’d like to see three guys clearly separate themselves heading into the playoffs, Thomson cut it off, saying he wants everyone to get hot.

I mean, same, but back here in reality, as we all take a death march down the stretch, the Phillies are running out of time for auditions. Right now, Bader looks locked in, Kepler deserves more run against righties, and Castellanos is showing signs of life.

The Phillies need clarity in the outfield.

Bader and Kepler are producing, Castellanos is fighting through the funk, and Marsh is searching for the swing that carried him through the summer. Playoff lineups don’t leave room for uncertainty — and right now, uncertainty is all the Phillies have.

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