Phillies' Brandon Marsh Boasts Best BABIP in 108 Years

Outfielder's elite contact skills put him in rare company with Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby

Jan. 28, 2026 at 5:07pm

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According to advanced stats, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has posted the highest Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) of any hitter in the last 108 years of MLB history, surpassing even the legendary Ty Cobb. However, Marsh's high strikeout rate remains a concern, as he has failed to put the ball in play as consistently as those all-time greats.

Why it matters

This remarkable statistic highlights Marsh's elite contact skills and ability to consistently get on base when he puts the ball in play. However, his high strikeout totals have limited his overall offensive production, raising questions about whether he can translate this BABIP success into All-Star caliber seasons if he can improve his plate discipline.

The details

According to the analytics site Codify Baseball, Marsh's career BABIP of .371 is the best of any hitter in the last 108 years, surpassing even Ty Cobb's .369 mark. Cobb holds the all-time MLB record with a .383 BABIP, but Marsh's recent performance puts him in rare company with the Hall of Famer. The issue for Marsh is that his career strikeout rate sits at 31.4%, far exceeding Cobb's career-high of 13.9%.

  • Marsh has posted a .371 BABIP over his MLB career, which began in 2021.

The players

Brandon Marsh

A 24-year-old outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies who has established himself as one of the best contact hitters in recent MLB history based on his elite Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP).

Ty Cobb

A legendary Hall of Fame outfielder who played in the early 20th century and holds the all-time MLB record for highest career BABIP at .383.

Rogers Hornsby

A Hall of Fame second baseman who played in the 1920s and is tied with Ty Cobb for the second-highest BABIP in the last 108 years of MLB history at .369.

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What’s next

If Marsh can reduce his high strikeout rate, he could translate his elite BABIP into All-Star caliber offensive production for the Phillies.

The takeaway

While Brandon Marsh's BABIP success puts him in rare historical company, his inability to consistently put the ball in play has limited his overall offensive impact. If he can improve his plate discipline, Marsh has the potential to become one of the best hitters in baseball.