Phillies’ Brandon Marsh Used to Think Being an All-Star Was Crazy. Now He’s Starting One at Home.

Brandon Marsh still sounds a little stunned. And honestly, that tracks.

The Phillies outfielder is an All-Star for the first time at 28, and not just any All-Star — he’s starting in the Midsummer Classic. The game happens to be in Philadelphia, his home ballpark, which is the kind of storybook detail that makes you wonder if someone scripted this.

“Most humble way very proud, you know, because like you said, it was a little rough start,” Marsh told Jeff Skversky of FOX29 Philly. “If you guys said that I’d be here in this moment, I would have thought you were crazy.”

He wasn’t being modest for effect. Last April, Marsh was fighting to stick in the lineup, still trying to prove he could hit lefties consistently. Now he’s hitting .301 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs through 92 games. That .339 on-base percentage and .490 slugging would both be career highs if he keeps it up. He’s on pace for the best season of his big-league career.

“It’s a blessing. It’s a dream come true,” Marsh said. “No better time than this year for this to happen, just with being a Philly and having the All-Star Game here.”

The All-Star roster has company

Marsh isn’t the only Phillie heading to the All-Star Game. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Cristopher Sanchez will also represent the club. Harper being a perennial All-Star is practically a given at this point. Schwarber’s power has been as explosive as ever. Sanchez has quietly turned into one of the better arms in the National League. But Marsh is the one who feels like the breakout story.

Philadelphia sits at 54-43 at the break, two games behind the Braves in the NL East. Atlanta (55-40) has owned the division for years now, but the Phillies keep lurking. Marsh’s production has been a big reason they’re still within striking distance. His bat plays from the outfield, his defense is solid, and he’s become the kind of player who makes you feel like something good might happen every time he steps in the box.

Timing is everything

This is the kind of season that changes how people talk about a guy. Marsh was always a toolsy prospect with the Angels, but the consistency never quite clicked until he got to Philly. Now he’s an All-Star starter at home. That’s the kind of turn that makes you wonder what comes next.

For now, Marsh seems content to just let it sink in. The game itself hasn’t been played yet. But the moment — the one he called a dream come true — is already here.