Philadelphia Phillies: Unsung hero Rafael Marchan displays new skill
Philadelphia Phillies rookie catcher Rafael Marchan launched his first home run as a professional on Friday night.
With one week left in the MLB regular season and a playoff spot on the line, the Philadelphia Phillies are clawing their way into the post-season, one game at a time.
On Friday night, the Phillies secured two important wins against the Toronto Blue Jays, moving to 26-25 on the season. While holding the slightest of leads on the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, and Milwaukee Brewers for one of the two Wild Card spots, the rise of unsung hero can change the course of these final few days of the season.
Rafael Marchan played in 210 Minor League games without ever hitting a homer.
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2020
Tonight, in his 2nd MLB game, he goes yard. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0WUTCFjjn8
For the Philadelphia Phillies, that hero turned out to be rookie backup catcher Rafael Marchan.
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Marchan caught game two of Friday’s doubleheader (his second career game) and batted ninth, picking a perfect time to launch his first professional home run into the bleachers at Citizens Bank Park.
Down 5-2 in the fourth inning, Marchan launched a two-strike, 88 mph cutter from Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Cole over the fence for a three-run home run to tie the contest.
The Phillies would go on to win the game with a three-run sixth inning, which included Marchan’s second hit of the game, a single. He would later score on a double off the bat of Bryce Harper.
What makes Marchan’s home run so special? It wasn’t just the first home run of his MLB career, but it was the first home run the 21-year-old catcher has ever hit since joining the Philadelphia Phillies as an international free agent in 2015 out of Venezuela.
Marchan, who hadn’t played in a game above High-A in the minor leagues before his MLB debut a few days ago, appeared in 210 games between the Dominican Summer League and Advanced-A ball, compiling 765 at-bats with a .285/.342/.345 slash line and zero home runs.
Highly regarded as a defensive backstop, Marchan just needed to face major league pitching to unlock his power potential and become a force at the plate
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The Phillies have just nine games left this season, including four against the Washington Nationals and three against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. It won’t be easy, but a playoff birth is achievable for the Philadelphia Phillies.