The Philadelphia Phillies currently boast one of the best records in baseball at 8-3. Even though the Phillies are off to a good start, their offense has been inconsistent. In five of their eleven games, Philadelphia has scored four runs or less.
Although massive run output shouldn't be expected every matchup, fans have high expectations after this club averaged 4.84 runs per game last season. That said, a player that manager Rob Thompson predicted would break out this season is off to a slow start at the plate, which is likely adding to the lower-than-anticipated output.
Brandon Marsh's Struggles at the Plate Show Rob Thompson May Have Been Too High on Him
Prior to the start of the season, Thompson appeared on the 94WIP morning show with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie to discuss the upcoming season. During that appearance, Thompson had this to say about outfielder Brandon Marsh:
"I hope he realizes how great of an athlete he is and how great of a player and potential superstar he could be. If he thinks that way, he’s got a better chance of getting there."Rob Thompson
Thompson's comments clearly show how high his hopes were for the 27-year-old center fielder. Nevertheless, Marsh's start to the season at the plate hasn't been good, as he is hitting .143/.273/.250. That's not a performance worthy of the "superstar" potential Thomson claims Marsh has in him.
Marsh's slow start to the season shouldn't be surprising. as he started spring training 1-for-13. Even so, he finished the spring decently at the plate, logging a .253/.368/.407 line. Moreover, Marsh isn't the only Phillies hitter off to a slow start; he is one of five players hitting below a .250 batting average, so perhaps this is just part of the early-season warmup period.
While Marsh's disappointing performance is currently making Thompson eat his words, there is more than enough time for him to turn it around at the plate. He'll get a chance to do so in the rubber match against the Atlanta Braves Thursday night.