Face of MLB 2015

The MLB Network is beginning the process of selecting its 3rd annual “Face of MLB” with the selection of each club’s “Face of the Franchise” nominee.

By following certain hashtags on Twitter, fans do the selecting of which of their team’s stars will represent them in the overall competition.

So far, the network has completed the process for 10 teams. Already selected for their clubs are the following:

Blue Jays – Jose Bautista, Braves – Freddie Freeman, Padres – Seth Smith, Pirates – Andrew McCutchen, Reds – Todd Frazier, Dodgers – Clayton Kershaw, Twins – Joe Mauer, Tigers – Miguel Cabrera, Angels – Mike Trout, White Sox – Chris Sale. 

More from That Balls Outta Here

• How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
• What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
• 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
• 11 Free-agent deals the Philadelphia Phillies wish fell through
• Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal

The Phillies will be one of the final teams for fans to vote on, likely due to the anticipated transitions in the roster this off-season. Fans of the club should be following @FS_TBOH.

As with all developments related to the team we will be keeping you updated. We’ll announce when the voting starts, and give updates during the process, finishing with the announcement of the nominee.

Once all nominees are selected from each of the 30 clubs, they are positioned in a ‘March Madness’ style bracket. In each pairing, baseball fans will then be asked to vote for their favorites, and voting will continue until a final overall ‘Face of MLB 2015’ is selected.

In both 2013 and 2014, the Phillies nominee was 2nd baseman Chase Utley. In 2013, Utley was upset in the first round by DBacks catcher Miguel Montero. Last year, Utley defeated Rays 3rd baseman Evan Longoria in the first round, but then was dumped by Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez in the 2nd round. 

The 2013 winner was Cincinnati Reds 1st baseman Joey Votto, who had upset Derek Jeter in the semi-finals and then defeated Matt Kemp in the final vote. The 2014 winner was New York Mets 3rd baseman David Wright, who edged out underdog Eric Sogard of the Oakland A’s.

Wright receives a first-round bye as the defending ‘Face of MLB’, as does the nominee of the World Series-winning San Francisco Giants. That San Francisco nominee has not yet been determined.

The Phillies eventual 2015 nominee will be pitted in a first-round matchup with the nominee from the Washington Nationals. This could be a tough matchup, with the Nats popularity high. Their fans will be active on social media, so it will be up to Phillies fans to really get behind our candidate.

So who should be the 2015 “Face of the Phillies” in the upcoming vote? By any reasonable measure, if voting is taken seriously, there are two clear candidates: the 2-time defending nominee Chase Utley, and starting pitcher Cole Hamels.

TBOH will be getting behind one of these two players. We’re looking for YOUR input. Let us know who you feel should be the competition nominee, Utley or Hamels. Whomever gets the most support in the coming days will get our backing.

So what do you think? Who do you feel should be the 2015 “Face of the Phillies”, representing the team in this fun MLB Network voting process? Stop by the @FS_TBOH site at Twitter and add your voice.