With the first half in the books, the Phillies find themselves in a familiar spot near the top of the National League picture. Philadelphia is in second place, a few games behind the Atlanta Braves, and currently holds the second NL Wild Card spot.
That standing has come with both bright spots and letdowns, but no player has been a bigger first-half surprise than Brandon Marsh. The outfielder has turned in a career year in his fifth season with the club, and he’s done it by producing across the board. Marsh hit .301/.339/.490 in the first half, with 15 home runs, 15 doubles, two triples, 46 RBIs, 52 runs scored and an .829 OPS.
That performance earned him his first All-Star selection and made him a steady presence in the Phillies’ lineup after the team got off to a slow start. Marsh, who entered the league at 23 with the Los Angeles Angels, had never quite reached this level before. This season, though, he put together a first half that looked nothing like a player still searching for his footing.
One number helps explain why this surge may not be a total shock: Marsh owns a career .370 BABIP, which ranks second all-time behind only Ty Cobb’s .383 among players with at least 500 games played since 1900. In other words, the tools to be a high-end hitter have always been there, and now he’s starting to cash in on that potential. With the Phillies’ outfield struggling overall, Marsh’s production has been a major reason Philadelphia sits where it does.
If Marsh was the pleasant surprise, Trea Turner was the clear disappointment. Turner arrived in Philadelphia in 2023 with a strong track record from his time with the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers, and he came into this season fresh off winning the National League batting title with a .304 average. That standard has not been met so far.
Through 94 games, Turner is batting .236. His first-half line sat at .236/.284/.355 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles, 33 RBIs, 62 runs and a .639 OPS.
That OPS is the worst of his career since his .620 mark in 27 games during his first season, which did not even qualify for rookie status. The lowest mark after that was .760 with the Nationals in 2018.
May was especially rough. Turner hit just .189 that month and posted a .222 OBP, dragging down an already uneven first half. He is still on pace for more than 100 runs and more than 27 stolen bases, but the overall production has fallen well short of the level he’s set over the course of his career.
Marsh gave the Phillies a lift. Turner gave them a headache. And with plenty of season still ahead, Philadelphia will be hoping Marsh keeps rolling while Turner finds his way back as the club tries to close the gap on Atlanta.
In Other News...
Phillies Zeroing In On Two Giants Bats Before The Deadline
With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Phillies are doing what contenders usually do this time of year: checking on bats that could deepen the lineup and add some flexibility. San Francisco has become a logical place to look, and Philadelphia was among the clubs with scouts on hand at a recent Giants game to get a closer read on two players who fit different needs, one as an outfield option with offensive upside and the other as a movable piece who can cover the dirt.
The appeal is obvious for a Phillies team trying to stay nimble. One target brings left-handed thump and enough bat-to-ball ability to keep evaluators interested, even if the glove leaves some questions about where he best fits. The other offers infield versatility and power in a package that can help a roster in more than one way, which is exactly the kind of profile front offices tend to circle as the deadline pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Made Another Right Field Bet Before The Deadline
The Phillies are taking another swing at solving right field, and this one comes with a familiar deadline feel: a short-term fix that could buy time while the front office keeps hunting for a more permanent answer. Bryan De La Cruz is set to get a look because Philadelphia wants another right-handed bat in the mix, especially with a run of left-handed starters coming up and the position still unsettled after Adolis Garcias injury.
De La Cruz has at least shown he can handle lefties well enough to make the idea worth testing, which is more than can be said for some of the other stopgap options the Phillies have cycled through. The bigger question is whether this is just a brief audition or the start of something longer, because the club still has a deadline decision to make and right field remains one of the spots most likely to change again before the month is over. [Read more 🡒]
ESPNs New Phillies Top 10 Brings A Brutal Reality Check
ESPNs latest look at the Phillies farm system offered a pretty sobering snapshot of where the organization stands beneath the big-league roster. Kiley McDaniels updated top 10 goes prospect by prospect through the current crop, weighing performance and development, and the overall read is clear enough: there is talent in the system, but not a lot of immediate help waiting in the wings.
For a club that has spent years trying to balance contention now with a pipeline that can sustain it later, that matters. The Phillies are still hoping at least one of their top five prospects can force his way into the picture soon, but the broader message from the rankings is that most of the list is still a long way from being part of a meaningful 2027 conversation. [Read more 🡒]