Brandon Marsh Made the Luckiest Catch You'll Ever See

Phillies centerfielder didn't even see the ball.
Aug 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan (62, left) walks to the dugout with center fielder Brandon Marsh (16, right) before the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan (62, left) walks to the dugout with center fielder Brandon Marsh (16, right) before the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
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Things have been going pretty well for the Philadelphia Phillies this season. They currently hold a six-game lead in the National League East after blanking the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Philadelphia is obviously very talented but it's worth pointing out that any team needs its fair share of luck to win big and an otherwise routine fly ball in the bottom of the seventh serves as a reminder.

Centerfielder Brandon Marsh had no idea where Jorge Polanco's drive was going to land until it somehow landed in his glove. It takes a person a few viewings of the replay to understand exactly what happened. Marsh himself was still pretty confused after the game, telling reporters he had "no idea" how he made the play.

“I literally had my arms out,” Marsh said, “and the baseball gods put the ball right in my glove.”

“I was going to let it hit my face,” he added. “The only chance I had to catch it was to palms-up it. Yeah, man. Better lucky than good sometimes.”

Marsh was wearing sunglasses and a hat but they did little to shield him from the brilliant Seattle sun. They did, however, make him look a lot cooler as he got an all-time break.


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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.