Tom Marsh vs. Brandon Marsh: Who ya got?

If you read Ben’s report card this morning and thought, “I wish I had even more Brandon Marsh content in my life,” you’re in luck. You may not realize that Brandon is the second player with the surname of Marsh to don a Phillies uniform. When Twitter user @FranzkeLA mentioned Tom Marsh the other day, I felt that it was my duty to compare the two players and determine which one was the Marshiest of all.

Facial hair

Tom Marsh had a moustache, but it was a bit wispy. On the other hand, Brandon is a full-fledged “beard guy.”

Huge Edge: Brandon

Minor league accolades

Brandon was a top 50 prospect with the Angels, although his hitting numbers in the minors were never that impressive. Tom was never ranked on a top prospect list, but if I recall correctly, he once - and may still - held the Phillies’ organization record for most home runs in the minor leagues. (Can anyone confirm this?)

While the minor league home run record is one that most players would probably prefer not to break, it shows he did accomplish more while on the farm than Brandon did.

Edge: Tom

Defensive prowess

Brandon is regarded as an excellent defender in center field, although he did have a couple of notable lapses after arriving in Philadelphia. Then again, having to cover ground between Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos is a tough ask. Tom mostly played left field and did not grade out well there.

Edge: Brandon

Getting my mother to ask, “Why does he look wet?”

As far as I can remember, my mother never inquired whether or not Tom Marsh was wet. But she asks it about Brandon just about every time he steps to the plate.

Edge: Brandon

Avoiding injury on August 16th

On August 16th, 1995, Tom suffered a concussion when he attempted to break up a double play and collided with Astros second baseman Orlando Miller. The injury kept him out for a couple of weeks.

Oddly enough, on that same day 27 years later, Brandon suffered an injury of his own. He landed awkwardly after attempting a leaping catch, and although it appeared as if he might have suffered a major knee injury, he returned to action after a short stay on the Injured List.

Edge: Even

Postseason heroics

Tom spent parts of the 1992, 1994, and 1995 seasons on the Phillies’ roster, but since he missed 1993, he never had the opportunity to play in the postseason. Brandon wasn’t especially good at the plate in the Phillies’ run to the World Series, but he had a couple of nice moments, including this home run in the NLDS clincher:

Edge: Brandon

Final analysis

Brandon takes Marsh supremacy by a score of 4-1-1, and that sounds about right. Aside from a brief hot streak in 1995 when he actually served as the team’s three-hole hitter, Tom wasn’t a productive major leaguer. As for Brandon, considering that the team traded a top prospect for him and plans for him to serve as their centerfielder for the next few seasons, the hope is that he’ll have a bit more of an impact.