That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

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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Lenny Dykstra, Philadelphia Phillies
Lenny Dykstra, Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

1986-96. Lenny Dykstra. 31. player. 6. . OF

The Phillies acquired Lenny Dykstra from the New York Mets as part of the package for Juan Samuel. He immediately became a fan favorite for his hard-nosed style of play, although his time in Philadelphia was marred by injuries.

In his first season as a Phillie, Dykstra had his best season in terms of wins above replacement. He was worth 8.9 WAR, second-best in the National League. Dykstra earned his first career All-Star appearance and finished ninth in MVP voting, as he led the league in on-base percentage (.418) and hits (192).

Dykstra missed a ton of time over the next two seasons due to various injuries. He and Darren Daulton were injured in a drunk-driving accident (Dykstra was driving), leading to Dykstra missing two months. He broke his collarbone colliding with a wall and missed the last month of the 1991 season. Dykstra broke his hand when he was hit by a pitch on Opening Day 1992, leading to more missed time.

Dykstra was in full health in 1993, propelling the team to the World Series with the best offensive season of his career. He finished second in MVP voting to Barry Bonds and earning a Silver Slugger award with a career-best OPS of .902. He led the league in walks (129), hits (194) and runs scored (143), racking up 19 home runs, 66 runs batted in and 37 stolen bases.

In the playoffs that year, Dykstra was dynamic, hitting six home runs and driving in 10 runs in 12 games. He hit two home runs and drove in four during the 15-14 Game 4 slugfest. He also had a three-run home run that ultimately proved for naught in the decisive Game 6.

Dykstra was an All-Star in 1994 and 1995, despite only playing in 102 games combined those years. After playing just 40 games in 1996, he never appeared in the majors again, although he attempted a comeback during spring training in 1998.

Dykstra finished his 12-year career with 1,298 hits, 81 home runs, 404 runs batted in, 802 runs scored, 285 stolen bases, a .285/.375/.419 line and 120 OPS+. Dykstra ranks 10th in franchise history in on-base percentage (.388) and seventh in stolen base percentage (78.24 percent).

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