Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson sees major growth ahead for his starting outfielder Brandon Marsh.

Phillies: Rob Thomson expects Brandon Marsh to breakout

According to Phillies Nation’s Destiny Lugardo, Thomson had this to say about how he intends to play Marsh next season based on his exceptional talent:

“He’s seeing a lot of left-handed pitching here in spring training, and he’s doing a pretty good job,” Thomson said on the WIP Morning Show on Thursday. “I’d like to give him a pretty good run at playing every day if we can. But he’s such a great athlete.”

Further, Thomson flat-out tabbed his outfielder as a weapon that could blossom into one of the premier players in the MLB:

“I hope [Marsh] realizes how great of an athlete he is and how great of a player and potential superstar he could be,” Thomson said. “If he thinks that way, he’s got a better chance of getting there.”

Phillies: Marsh was one of the top-ranked CFs in 2024

MLB Network placed Marsh as their No. 6 ranked center fielder in the Majors based on the work he put in last season. Though Marsh saw almost double the amount of games in left field (97) as he did in center (53) in 2024, he turned in a .978 fielding percentage at both slots. He committed five total errors in the campaign.

Thompson sees big things for the 27-year-old at the plate next season as well. Marsh registered a career-high 60 RBIs with an impressive 19 stolen bases and 16 home runs last time out. As a runner, his sprint speed of 28.2 mph ranked in the 74th percentile. Baseball Savant quantified his arm value as being in the 91st percentile.

That’s the type of natural talent that the four-year veteran has. Marsh is still young with room to take the next steps in his career. While his efficiency could use work, as exemplified by his career .256 batting average, 2025 looks like it could be the year that Marsh breaks out for the Phillies.

Philadelphia was on the verge of trading the star outfielder at the onset of the offseason. They decided to stand pat. Now, Thomson feels good about the decision. The upcoming campaign will prove if the move was a sound one or not.