Brandon Marsh’s dad died of cancer in 2021. He found a way to honor him in his first All-Star Game.
Jake Marsh was his kids' biggest cheerleader. So it was only fitting that his family found a way to include him in his son's big moment at his home ballpark.
Every time Sonja Marsh is at a major league baseball game to watch her son, or an international track meet to watch her daughter, she brings a small, gray urn with butterflies on the side.
It contains the ashes of her late husband, Jake, who died of cancer in April of 2021. There are countless ways the family has kept his memory alive. Brandon Marsh and his sister, Erin, each have a tattoo on their arm that says “believe,” a favorite mantra of their father’s.
They wear rubber bracelets bearing his name, and always seem to find signs that their father is with them. Butterflies are a big one. The Phillies outfielder said he’s seen “millions” of the winged creatures since his father passed.
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Another example came in May of 2024, when a black T-shirt was unexpectedly delivered to Marsh’s locker in Miami. On the front was the logo of Jake’s favorite band: Guns N’ Roses.
So, it was only fitting that in Marsh’s first-ever All-Star appearance on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, he and his family found a way to include their loved one. Not long after the All-Star roster was announced on July 4, Sonja began designing a logo for her son’s cleats.
On the left side, was a family crest, split into four initials: “J.M., S.M., B.M., E.M.” On the right, a Bible verse, Deuteronomy 3:16: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
She sent the design to Marsh’s agent, Eric McQueen, who put it on some bright red cleats. The outfielder received them on Tuesday morning, as a surprise before the All-Star Game.
“I wanted to make sure Jake was on them,” Sonja said. “Because I just think his dad would be so proud to be here. And he is 90% of the reason he is where he is.”
Marsh’s ascension from platoon outfielder to everyday player has been well-documented. In April of 2025, he went hitless through 29 at-bats, before landing on the injured list.
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Now, 15 months later, the 28-year-old is among the best players in the league, leading his team in batting average (.301) and hits (102). Those struggles have made his All-Star berth all the more sweeter. Sonja said she’s noticed a change in her son’s energy.
“Whenever I call him now, it’s not, ‘Hey Mom, I’ve only got five minutes. Walking into the training room, what you need?’” she said. “It’s, ‘So, Mom, can you believe such and such? Hey, did you see so and so?’ Conversationally, it’s gotten better.”
She said he was struggling with stress more than anything else; about performing, about his role. When Jake was alive, he was his children’s biggest cheerleader, knowing the right words to say in a moment of self-doubt.
This is not Sonja’s strong suit — “I’m not as good at that,” she said — which made those brief phone calls especially challenging. But bit by bit, Marsh worked his way out of it, en route to his best season to date.
He is so locked in that he wouldn’t even discuss the All-Star Game with his family — even after he’d made the team.
“I called him, to say congratulations,” Sonja said, “and he’s like, ‘Mom, thank you for calling, can we talk about this on Sunday? Because I still have six more games to win.’”
Added Erin: “Brandon would not talk about the All-Star Game. He was like, ‘I don’t want to jinx it.’”
It’s hard to overstate how proud his family is. On Tuesday night, Sonja watched from Section 120 with a large button of her son’s face on her cap (a clean-shaven Marsh, age 9, glowering at the camera).
Erin, a professional heptathlete, was also able to make it to Philadelphia, finding a pocket of time between competitions. They watched the game with family and friends, remarking on how far Brandon has come.
But Jake Marsh was there, too; in the urn by Sonja’s side, the bracelets on Brandon’s wrist, and of course, the bright red cleats on his feet.
“I know he was watching tonight,” Brandon said, “and he had the best seat in the house.”
