The Philadelphia Phillies’ outfield has faced a challenging season, with nearly every player enduring rough patches. Brandon Marsh, in particular, had the toughest start. His struggles sparked calls from fans for Dave Dombrowski and the front office to find a replacement. However, despite Marsh’s recent improvement, Dombrowski delivered some disappointing news to fans.
In a report by Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, stated that the team is unlikely to make a move for an outfielder at the trade deadline, unlike last year when they acquired Austin Hays.
“I don’t think it’s too similar,” Dombrowski said, “I think the thing you have to realize is offense is down. It’s hard to find guys to put up numbers. I mean, it just is.”
Although Dombrowski didn’t outright rule out making a move for an outfielder, he’s essentially defending Marsh and the other outfielders’ performances. With offensive numbers down across the league, Dombrowski doesn’t believe there are any major upgrades to be had at the trade deadline.
The outfield struggles aren’t exclusive to the Phillies either—it’s a broader issue affecting teams throughout the league.
“Through Thursday, the major league-wide batting average was .245,” Lauber writes, “Which would be the fifth-lowest mark since MLB lowered the mound in 1968.”
Offensive numbers are down across the board, particularly in the outfield. As Lauber points out, “In left field and center,” the league-average slugging percentage was just .399 and .387, marking the third and fifth-lowest figures in 57 years.
In this context, Marsh’s .260 batting average and .379 slugging percentage don’t look too bad. Although they’re below average, Dombrowski has praised Marsh for “performing very well for us.”
Looking at Marsh’s recent performance, Dombrowski’s praise is justified. Since May 3rd, Marsh has posted a solid .311 batting average, a .371 on-base percentage, and a .444 slugging percentage. His .815 OPS is also quite impressive.
Marsh’s season stats took a significant hit early on, as he struggled badly out of the gate. Through April, he was hitting just .095 with a .387 OPS—putting it bluntly, he was terrible to start the year.
However, after some time off, Marsh has come back stronger and has been a steady contributor for the Phillies. With Marsh showing improved performance at the plate and Kepler’s power starting to shine, Dombrowski seems increasingly confident in sticking with the current outfield, likely forgoing any moves at the MLB trade deadline.
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