Former All-Star enjoys shocking turnaround with Philadelphia Phillies

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed David Dahl to a minor league contract in February, few expected him to make a big impact. After all, it had been five years since he was a productive major league player.

Dahl’s once-promising career had entered its journeyman phase. After slashing .297/.346/.521 and making an All-Star team in his first three seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the former first-round pick faded into obscurity as the Injuries and underperformance sabotaged his career. He appeared in just 91 games over his next three seasons, playing for three different teams while batting a paltry .199/.236/.303.

While Dahl was just 29 when he signed with the Phillies last offseason, his career seemed over. This was already his sixth team since leaving the Rockies after the 2020 season. Teams continued to give him opportunities, but he failed to stick anywhere.

That’s changed this year, though, as Dahl finally looks like the .300 hitter of yesteryear. After tearing up Triple-A with a .340/.416/.660 batting line, the veteran outfielder was called up when Brandon Marsh (hamstring) hit the 10-day injured list on June 3. Dahl was immediately inserted into the starting lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers – a former team of his.

In his first MLB game in over a year, Dahl made an immediate impact, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs as Philadelphia won 3-1. He played again the next day and doubled, then homered in his next appearance as a pinch hitter against the New York Mets in the London Series.

Despite going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Thursday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Dahl still has a healthy .263/.263/.684 average. He has hit safely in four of his six games so far with four extra-base hits, earning him many comparisons to former San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds on social media.

Who knows if Dahl’s performance is sustainable or if he’ll soon become a pumpkin again, but at least he gave a glimpse of the player he used to be. If he continues like this, he could be in line for more regular playing time in the future, even after Marsh returns.