Brandon Marsh just looks like Philadelphia. The long-haired outfielder has an equally impressive beard and quickly became a fan favorite during the Phillies’ run to the World Series last year.
Marsh is preparing to enter his first full season with the Phillies, and it’s a season that’ll see some changes due to the new rules. The pitch clock is going to help speed up the game and it could very well help Marsh at the plate as well.
Marsh joined WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Audacy Original Podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” and explained how he’s “just dumb enough” while batting and why he sings to himself in the batter’s box.
“It eliminates all the extra thoughts. Speaking for myself personally, that benefits me a little bit just because the more I think the more – just go up there and be just dumb enough. I heard that term coming up, I forget who I got it from, but I’m stealing it. I’m just going to keep running with it. Being just dumb enough,” Marsh said (15:33 in player above). “I know there are dudes out there that analyze every pitch and I’m just not one of those guys. I do analyze every pitch just on a different level, a more mild level.”
Marsh is the type of hitter that’s better when he’s not flooded with thoughts and scouting reports at the plate.
“You put all the work in in the cage, your muscles get the memory to do what you’re supposed to on certain pitches and where they’re thrown,” he said. “You just got to go up there and trust your brain to tell your body to do the right thing. Put your A swing on as many pitches as you can…
“I do think that the pitch clock helps hitters that are similar to me that are not trying to think too too much up there and just let the body and brain do whatever the heck it’s trained to do.”
The eccentric center fielder has his own ways of getting focused at the plate.
“Coming up in the minor leagues there were times in Mobile I remember in Double-A we didn’t have many fans come out in Double-A. You’re just up there in your own world. And I go up there and I’m like alright, whatever, I’m just going to go up there and sing in my head. So I started singing whatever song that popped in my head when I’m up at the plate and it just helps me get in my own little world,” Marsh said. “It’s definitely tough to separate your thoughts from your actions when you’re up there… If you’re a mild thinker you’ll be OK.”
Music has been proven to help people focus – well, certain music at least – and Marsh is taking that to the batter’s box.
“I was doing that three days ago,” he said. “It usually is whatever was playing in the middle of the inning. It’s stuck in my head still so I’m just like humming it to myself. I’ll just be up there and it’ll just come out. Not as much time to sing and rap at the plate.”
Marsh hit .288 with three home runs and 15 runs batted in over the course of 41 regular-season games after the Phillies acquired him from the Angels last season. He’s set to patrol center field in Philadelphia in 2023 with hitting coach Kevin Long and perhaps some music helping him find a groove at the plate.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram