That Balls Outta Here
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Philadelphia Phillies: 50 greatest players of all-time

By George Stockburger

Mike Schmidt,Third and First Baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat the during the Major League Baseball National League East game against the Chicago Cubs on 28 June 1988 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, United States. Cubs won the game 6 - 4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images)
Mike Schmidt,Third and First Baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat the during the Major League Baseball National League East game against the Chicago Cubs on 28 June 1988 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, United States. Cubs won the game 6 - 4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Jayson Werth, Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies
Jayson Werth, Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mentions

The following three players were listed on just one of the two lists averaged out for the final ranking.

Jim Thome

One of the greatest free agent signings in Phillies history made one of the two lists, thus falling off the final rankings. After making changes to the Wall of Fame requirements, the Phillies organization inducted Jim Thome onto the Wall of Fame in 2016, despite playing just less than 400 games over two full seasons and two partial years.

In his first season with the Phillies, Thome hit a league-best 47 home runs and finished fourth in the MVP voting. After another strong season, Thome lost time to injury and Ryan Howard’s emergence. After being traded to the Chicago White Sox and bouncing around the league, Thome returned to Philadelphia for half a season as a bench player.

Thome’s 13.3 at-bats per home run rate is the best in Phillies history. His .541 slugging percentage is second to only Chuck Klein.

Jayson Werth

A castaway from the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, Jayson Werth came to Philadelphia with few expectations. He ultimately developed into a feared bat in the middle of Philadelphia’s lineup for three years. Werth earned All-Star honors in 2009 and hit a career-high 36 home runs. He followed it up in 2010 with a league-high 46 doubles.

After leaving for the Washington Nationals in free agency, Werth became a villain in Philadelphia, but he was welcomed back as an alum last summer. Werth is among the top-50 all-time in 19 offensive categories. His .506 slugging percentage is on the border of the top-10.

Placido Polanco

In two stints for the Phillies, Placido Polanco was what he was, a solid player who did his job, when healthy. With a 15.9 WAR, .289 batting average and nearly 800 hits, Polanco finds himself in a handful of top-50 career numbers in Phillies history.

Polanco received a handful of Hall of Fame votes in 2019 and could find himself on the Wall of Fame.

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