Best position players in Phillies franchise history from A to Z
The Phillies season ended poorly after a promising first half. In another direction, we look at the best position players in franchise history from A to Z
As a once-promising season has yet again turned into disappointment, we take a turn in another direction to look at the best Phillies position players of all time from A to Z. Note that accomplishments are in red pinstripes only. Therefore all-time great players such as Pete Rose, Jim Thome, Joe Morgan fail to make the list due to their relatively short tenure with the team.
A: Bobby Abreu (outfield 1998 – 2006)
In nine seasons with the Phillies, Abreu hit .303 with 1474 hits, 195 home runs, 254 home runs, and a .928 OPS. He hit over .300 six times, was an All-Star in 2004 and 2005 and Gold Glove award winner in 2005.
B: Larry Bowa (shortstop 1970 – 1981)
Bowa was a five-time All-Star and two time Gold Glove award winner in Philadelphia. He hit .264 with 1794 hits 262 doubles, 99 triples, and 315 stolen bases. Bowa was the starting shortstop on the 1980 World Series championship team.
C: Gavvy Cravath (outfield 1912 – 1920)
Cravath led the league in home runs six times with the Phillies and RBI twice. He was second in the MVP voting in 1913 when he hit .341 with 19 home runs, 128 RBI and a .974 OPS. Cravath was a .291 hitter with 117 home runs in 1103 career games with the Phillies.
D: Ed Delahanty (outfield 1888 – 1889, 1891 – 1901)
Delahanty, a Hall of Famer, had seven seasons with 100 or more RBI, leading the league three times. He also led the league in doubles four times and hit .400 or better three times. In 13 seasons with the Phillies, Delahanty had 2214 hits, 1288 RBI, 1368 runs and a .348 batting average.
E: Del Ennis (outfield 1946 – 1956)
A three-time All-Star, including his rookie season, Ennis had eight seasons with 20 or more home runs, including two with 30 or more. He led the league in RBI with 126 for the 1950 NL Champion “Whiz Kids” and had at least 100 RBI five more times with the Phillies. Ennis his 259 home runs and had a .284 average in 1630 games with the Phillies.
F: Elmer Flick (outfield 1898 – 1901)
The Hall of Famer Flick spent his first four seasons with the Phillies. He led the league in RBI with 110 in 1900 and hit above .300 in each of his seasons with the Phillies. Flick hit .338 with a .907 OPS in 537 games with the Phillies
G: Doug Glanville (outfield 1998 – 2002, 2004)
Glanville scored at least 100 runs twice with the Phillies and also stole over 30 bases twice. His best season in the Major Leagues was in 1999 when he hit .325 with 38 doubles, 11 home runs, 74 RBI and 34 stolen bases in 36 attempts.
H: Ryan Howard (first base 2004 – 2016)
Howard spent his entire Major League career in a Phillies’ uniform. Rookie of the Year in 2005, Howard has his best season in 2006, winning the MVP. He hit .313 with 58 home runs, 149 RBI and a 1.084 OPS. He also had three more seasons with 40 or more home runs and five straight seasons of 100 or more RBI. A three-time All-Star, Howard hit 382 home runs and knocked in 1194 runs in his career.
I: Raul Ibanez (outfield 2009 – 2011)
In his first season with the Phillies, Ibanez was an All-Star, belting 34 home runs and driving in 93. His contributions helped the Phillies win the NL Championship for the second straight season. Although solid, his numbers declined the following two seasons, combining to hit 36 home runs and knocking in 167.
J: Willie Jones (third base 1947 -1959)
A two-time All-Star, Jones hit in double digits in home runs 10 times, surpassing 20 twice. A starter for the 1950 “Whiz Kids”, Jones had 1400 hits, 180 home runs, and 753 RBI in 1520 career games with the Phillies.
K: Chuck Klein (outfield 1928 – 1933, 1936 – 1939, 1940 – 1944)
A Hall of Famer, Klein spent 15 of his 19 seasons with the Phillies. He led the league in home runs four times, and RBI, runs and slugging percentage three times. He surpassed 200 hits five consecutive seasons and won MVP honors in 1932. Klein also hit over .300 ten times and hit .326 with the Phillies with 243 home runs and 983 RBI.
L: Greg Luzinski (outfield 1970 – 1980)
Known as “The Bull”, Luzinski was one of the top power hitting in the NL during the mid-1970’s. A four-time All-Star, Luzinski twice was second in the MVP voting. He surpassed thirty home runs and 100 RBI in a season three times. Luzinski ended his career with the Phillies with 223 home runs and a .281 batting average.
M: Garry Maddox (outfield 1975 – 1986)
One of the best defensive center fielders in baseball history, the “Secretary of Defense” won eight Gold Glove Awards. His best offensive season was in 1976 when he .330 with 37 doubles and an .833 OPS. Maddox had career highs in home runs with 14 and RBI with 74 in 1977. He caught the final out to secure the NL Championship against the Astros in 1980. Maddox had 1333 hits and 189 stolen bases in 12 seasons with the Phillies.
N: Ron Northey (outfield 1942 – 1947, 1957)
Northey had his best seasons early in his career, getting MVP votes in 1943 and 1944. He had a career-high 35 doubles, 22 home runs and 104 RBI in 1944. Northey was also known for one of the best outfield arms in the Major Leagues. In 600 career games with the Phillies, Northey .269 with 60 home runs and 273 RBI.
O: Lefty O’Doul (outfielder 1929 – 1930)
Although O’Doul spent only two seasons with the Phillies, he led the league with a .398 average, 254 hits, 32 home runs, and 122 RBI, while finishing second in MVP voting in 1929. In his two seasons in Philadelphia, O’Doul hit .391 with 54 home runs and 219 RBI.
P: Placido Polanco (second base, third base 2002 – 2005, 2010 – 2012)
One of the best contact hitters of his time, Polanco struck out only 216 times in 2963 plate appearances in a Phillies’ uniform. He had his two best power seasons with the Phillies, hitting 17 home runs in 2004 and 14 in 2003. Polanco was an All-Star and Gold Glove award winner in 2011. He has a career .289 average with the Phillies in 688 games.
Q: Tom Quinlan (third base 1994)
One of the few players in franchise history whose last name starts with Q, Quinlan spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues. In 24 games with the Phillies, Quinlan hit .200 in 35 at-bats with his only Major League home run.
R: Jimmy Rollins (shortstop 2000 – 2014)
Rollins was a four-time Gold Glove award winner, three-time All-Star and 2007 NL MVP. He holds the franchise record for career hits and doubles. Rollins led the league in triples four times and lead the league with 46 stolen bases in 2001. An integral part of the 2008 World Series Championship team, Rollins had 1325 runs, 2306 hits, 479 doubles and 453 stolen bases in the red pinstripes.
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S: Mike Schmidt (third base 1972 – 1989)
The greatest Phillie in franchise history and the best third baseman in MLB history, Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove award winner and 3-time MVP. He led the league in home runs eight times and RBI four times. Schmidt hit 548 home runs, knocked in 1595 runs and scored 1505 runs in his first ballot Hall-of-Fame career.
T: Sam Thompson (outfield 1889 – 1898)
Thompson led the league in home runs twice and RBI twice while with the Phillies. He knocked in at least 100 runs eight times and hit a career-high .415 in 1894. In ten season with the Phillies, Thompson had a .334 average with 965 RBI and 930 runs scored.
U: Chase Utley (second base 2003 – 2015)
The best second baseman in franchise history, Utley made six All-Star appearances in a Phillies uniform. He had four consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBI and another four consecutive seasons with at least 100 runs scored. In the 2009 World Series, Utley tied Reggie Jackson with most home runs in a single World Series with five. He is sixth in franchise history with 233 home runs and seventh in RBI with 916.
V: Shane Victorino (outfield 2005 – 2012)
The “Flyin’ Hawaiian”, Victorino was a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove award winner with the Phillies. He led the league in triples twice and stolen at least 30 bases four times. Victorino hit .279 with 998 hits, 88 home runs, and 179 stolen bases in 987 games with the Phillies.
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W: Jayson Werth (outfield 2007 – 2010)
Werth was a key part of the middle of the order for the 2008 World Series championship team and the 2009 NL Championship team. An All-Star in 2009, Werth hit a career-high 36 home runs with 99 RBI. In 554 games with the Phillies, Werth hit .282 with 95 home runs, 300 RBI and an .885 OPS.
Y: Dick Young (second base 1951 – 1952)
Very few position players whose last names started in Y played for the Phillies. Young had the most “success”, albeit playing in only 20 career games. In 77 at-bats, he had 18 hits, six doubles, and two RBI.
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Z: Todd Zeile (third base 1996)
Zeile spent only part of one season in Philadelphia but had a solid season at the plate. He hit .268 with 24 doubles, 20 home runs, and 80 RBI in 134 games.