Brandon Marsh should be the Philadelphia Phillies starting center fielder until the trade deadline. There is a decent chance the Phillies trade for an outfielder at the deadline. At that point, the roles of Marsh and Johan Rojas will be reevaluated. Marsh and Rojas have been platooning in center field this season. Starting against right-handed starting pitchers has been Marsh. Meanwhile, Rojas has been starting against left-handed starting pitchers. Both Marsh and Rojas have minor league options available if needed.
The Phillies have also been running a platoon in left field with Max Kepler, Weston Wilson, or Otto Kemp. It would be good for the Phillies to start Marsh in center field every day, in part to maintain stability in the outfield. Running two platoons in the outfield can lead to defensive challenges. Kepler has also complained about the lack of playing time he is getting as a result. This is something the Phillies should look to correct at the trade deadline by trading for a right-handed outfielder who will be an everyday player.
Phillies Starting Center Fielder
Marsh Is Deserving Of More Playing Time
This season, Marsh has a .260/.333/.379 line with three home runs and 20 RBI in 68 games. Marsh has a 99 wRC+ and a .344 BABIP this season. Additionally, Marsh has a .315 wOBA and a 0.40 BB/K rate. Marsh has recorded five stolen bases this year. To add to that, Marsh has a career-best 25.6% strikeout rate this season. For comparison, Marsh has a 10.3% walk rate. Marsh has a .683 OPS and a 96 wRC+ with a 0.38 BB/K rate against left-handed pitchers this season. Meanwhile, Marsh has a .718 OPS and a 100 wRC+ with a 0.42 BB/K rate against right-handed pitchers.
Since returning from the injured list, Marsh has a .311/.371/.444 line with two home runs and 15 RBI in 50 games. Marsh has a 127 wRC+ and a .404 BABIP in that span. To add, Marsh has a 0.39 BB/K rate during that stretch. Marsh has a .321/.360/.449 line with one home run and eight RBI in 29 games since June 1. During that span, Marsh has a 123 wRC+ with a .407 BABIP as well. Marsh has a 0.30 BB/K rate since June 1. Over the last few months, Marsh has shown that he is the better center field option offensively and should be given more playing time as a result.
Rojas is Having An Inconsistent Season At The Plate
Rojas has a .226/.275/.299 line with one home run and 15 RBI in 63 games this season. To add, Rojas has a 58 wRC+ and a .297 BABIP this season. Rojas has a .256 wOBA and a career-best 0.27 BB/K rate. So far this season, Rojas has 11 stolen bases. This year, Rojas has a 24.2% strikeout rate. Meanwhile, Rojas has a career-best 6.5% walk rate this season. Rojas has a .605 OPS and a 67 wRC+ with a 0.33 BB/K rate against left-handed pitchers this season. For comparison, Rojas has a .550 OPS and a 52 wRC+ with a 0.24 BB/K rate against right-handed pitchers.
Rojas earned his spot on the Phillies Opening Day roster. However, since May 1, Rojas has not been good at the plate. In that span, Rojas has a .173/.230/.235 line with no home runs and six RBI in 38 games. Rojas has a 28 wRC+ and a .233 BABIP during that stretch. To add, Rojas has a 0.29 BB/K rate since May 1. When examining the 18 games Rojas has played since June 1, he has a .179/.220/.205 line with no home runs and one RBI. Rojas has a 16 wRC+ and a .219 BABIP since June 1. During that span, Rojas has recorded a 0.29 BB/K rate.
Main Photo Credits: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
