At the midpoint of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies hold second place in their division, trailing the Atlanta Braves by only a handful of games. They also currently secure the second Wild Card slot in the National League.
The Phillies’ first half has featured both unexpected bright spots and notable letdowns. From my perspective, the most encouraging development has been the breakout performance of Brandon Marsh.
Now in his fifth year with the organization, Marsh is putting together a career-best campaign. Over the opening stretch, he posted a batting average above .300, finishing with a .301/.339/.490 slash line to go along with 15 homers, 15 doubles, two triples, 46 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and an .829 OPS.
His consistent production and timely contributions earned him his first All-Star nod, as he became a steady presence in the lineup and helped propel a Phillies club that rebounded from a sluggish start to post a strong overall first half.
Brandon Marsh stands out as Phillies’ clear-cut top surprise
Marsh debuted in the majors at 23 with the Los Angeles Angels, but prior to this year, he had never developed into an All-Caliber performer. This season, however, he has rewritten that narrative, sustaining success throughout the entire first half.
Across his career, the 28-year-old owns a .370 BABIP, which ranks second only to Ty Cobb (.383) among all players with at least 500 games played since 1900, according to historical data.
That statistic points to Marsh always possessing the underlying skill set to become a reliable .300 hitter, and he is now beginning to realize that promise more consistently.
Given the overall struggles of Philadelphia’s outfield, Marsh’s output has been especially valuable and has played a key role in keeping the team where it currently stands in the standings.
Trea Turner rates as Phillies’ biggest letdown
In my view, Trea Turner qualifies as the Phillies’ foremost disappointment through the first half. Prior to signing with Philadelphia in 2023, Turner built a strong resume with the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Given his track record, considerable expectations accompanied him, but he has fallen short of those standards so far this year. He entered the season fresh off a National League batting title, having paced the league with a .304 average. This year, however, he is hitting just .236 across 94 games.
Over the first half, Turner’s numbers were .236/.284/.355, with 10 home runs, 16 doubles, 33 RBIs, 62 runs, and a .639 OPS.
That .639 OPS represents his lowest full-season figure since his abbreviated debut season, when he posted a .620 mark over 27 games a sample that did not even meet rookie eligibility requirements. His next-lowest OPS came in 2018 with the Nationals at .760.
A particularly rough May, during which Turner batted only .189 with a .222 on-base percentage, significantly dragged down his first-half totals.
Although he remains on track to surpass 100 runs scored and swipe more than 27 bases, Turner’s overall production in the opening half falls well below both his career benchmarks and what would be anticipated from a 33-year-old veteran of his caliber.
Marsh emerged as a welcome surprise with his first-half showing, while Turner has ranked among if not the single biggest letdowns to date. With ample baseball remaining, it remains to be seen whether Marsh can sustain his elevated level and whether Turner can reverse course, as the Phillies aim to close ground on the Braves in the division race.
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