Brandon Marsh DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) will play in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Marsh bruised his left knee in the team's Grapefruit League contest on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, but it wasn't a serious injury, and he'll end up missing just one day. The 27-year-old will be ready to go for Opening Day next Thursday, March 27, versus the division-rival Washington Nationals and he's expected to be the team's primary center fielder in 2025. With moderate power and speed, the former second-rounder by the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 is merely outfield depth for those in mixed fantasy leagues. However, he does reside in one of the best lineups in baseball and he was able to set career-highs in home runs (16) and stolen bases (19) in 135 games in 2024. Sitting against many lefties and a career strikeout rate over 30% lowers his ceiling.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (knee) left Sunday's contest against the Baltimore Orioles early after picking up a knee bruise. The good news is that he was removed from the game for precautionary reasons and is on record stating that if it were the regular season, he "most definitely" would have stayed in the game. The 27-year-old slipped on the warning track in the first inning, landing hard on his knee. He'd again land on the same knee in the third, making a catch in center field. While it isn't thought to be a significant issue, manager Rob Thomson noted that he won't play on Monday as previously scheduled. Fellow outfielder Max Kepler also left Sunday's outing early, and the Phillies are beginning to get thin at that position. Fortunately, both can be considered day-to-day.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielder Brandon Marsh have settled on a $3 million contract to avoid arbitration. The 27-year-old operated as an everyday outfielder for the Phillies in 2024 and should be expected to retain that role in 2025. Last season, Marsh held a .249/.328/.419 slash line with 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases. His 60 RBI matched a career-high. Under the hood, he generated a strong 47.4% hard-hit and 10.0% barrel rates, placing him in the 83rd and 68th percentile, respectively. While he posted a hefty 32.4% K rate, he was still able to draw walks at a solid 10.5% mark, which was above average. Given his ability to hit for power and swipe double-digit bags, Marsh remains a viable target in deeper five-outfielder leagues as long as he continues to have an everyday spot in the starting nine.