Over the course of the next month, LWOSports will be breaking down the top five Major League Baseball players in franchise history for all 30 teams. This article will rank the best five players from least to best by who had the biggest impact for the Philadelphia Phillies. you can check out the other series articles here.
Top Five Philadelphia Phillies Players
5. Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins played in the Majors for 17 seasons which included 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rollins made his major league debut for the Phillies in 2000. When he first came up to the majors, Rollins was known as one of the best defensive shortstops in the game and then his bat started to match his defense which made him a great all-around player. Over his career, he was a .264 hitter with over 2,400 hits while batting in just under 1,000 runs and having 470 steals. Rollins was a three-time all-star, World Series champion, NL MVP, four-time Gold Glove winner, Silver Slugger winner, Roberto Clemente Award winner, and was the stolen base’s leader for the NL in 2001.
4. Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn played in the Majors for 15 seasons including 12 of those seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies. Ashburn played center field for the Phillies and was one of the best center fielders of his era while leading the league in fielding percentage year in and year out. Over his career, Ashburn batted .308 with over 2,500 hits and just under 600 runs batted in. Ashburn was a six-time all-star, two-time NL batting champion, and lead the NL in stolen bases in 1948. Ashburn was an icon in Philadelphia and after he retired he went on to be broadcaster for the Phillies. Ashburn’s number one is retired by the Philadelphia Phillies as well as being part of their wall of fame. In 1995, Ashburn was selected into the baseball Hall of Fame by the veteran’s committee.
3. Chase Utley
Chase Utley has been in the Majors for 16 seasons including 13 of them with the Philadelphia Phillies. Utley made his major league debut for the Phillies in 2003. Utley was one of those all around players where he was great at the plate and defensively he could play multiple positions but second base was his primary position. Working with Jimmy Rollins over the years made Utley a much better defender and giving the Phillies one of the better middle infield combinations in the league. Utley was known as a leader to the team from the moment he made the majors which were one of his bright spots in succeeding in the league. Over his career, Utley was a .275 hitter with 259 home runs and over 1,000 runs batted in and Utley has seven career home runs in the World Series. One more interesting fact about Utley is he participated in seven career no-hitters while being on the winning side in four of them. Utley is a six-time all-star, World Series champion, and a four-time Silver Slugger award winner.
2. Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton played in the Majors for 24 seasons including 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies. Carlton really took off when he went to Philadelphia where he won four Cy Young awards. Over his career, Carlton was 329-244 with a 3.22 ERA and over 4,000 strikeouts. Carlton was a ten time all star, two time World Series champion, four-time Cy Young winner, Triple Crown winner, Gold Glove winner, four-time NL wins leader, and a five-time NL strikeout leader. Carlton’s number 32 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies as well as being nominated for the Phillies Wall of Fame. In 1994, Carlton was selected into the baseball Hall of Fame as a first ballot vote getter.
1. Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt played his whole career for the Philadelphia Phillies which included 17 seasons. Schmidt was known for his combination of being a strong defender and a power hitter. Over his career, Schmidt batted .267 with over 2,200 hits and 548 home runs while driving in over 1,500 runs. Schmidt was a 12 time all-star, World Series champion and MVP, three-time NL MVP, ten-time Gold Glove winner, six-time Silver Slugger winner, eight-time NL home run leader, and a four-time NL RBI leader. In 1976 Schmidt hit four home runs in one game which is a remarkable accomplishment. Schmidt’s number 20 was retired by the Philadelphia Phillies as well as him being nominated for the Phillies Wall of Fame. Schmidt also made the Major League Baseball All-Century and All-Time teams. In 1995, Schmidt was selected into the baseball Hall of Fame as a first ballot vote getter.
Last Word
The Philadelphia Phillies have been around since 1883 winning two World Series titles, seven NL Pennants, and eleven National League East Division titles. There have been many great players who have played for the Phillies and a number of them were only on the team for three to five seasons but made major impacts. The players chosen for this article were the best players in Philadelphia history who not only made an impact on the field but also made a major impact off the field and for the community. You can check out our other player rankings here.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
