Phillies Madness: Quarterfinals of the all-time Phillies bracket
1 Mike Schmidt vs 8 Cole Hamels
Here we have, inarguably, the greatest Phillies hitter versus the second-best left-handed pitcher in franchise history.
Where do you start when breaking down the career of Mike Schmidt? For most, it’s the 548 home runs. For others, it’s the 10 Gold Gloves. Maybe it’s 12 All-Star games. Regardless, he’s made a case to be the greatest player in franchise history and the greatest third baseman in the history of baseball.
When you look at Schmidt’s numbers in Phillies history, here’s where he lands. A hint, he’s probably at the very top.
- 548 home runs – 1st all-time
- 106.9 WAR – 1st all-time
- 91.8 oWAR – 1st all-time
- 18.4 dWAR – 1st all-time
- 2,404 games played – 1st all-time
- 10,062 plate appearances – 1st all-time
- 1,506 runs – 1st all-time
- 4,404 total bases – 1st all-time
- 1,595 RBI – 1st all-time
- 1,507 walks – 1st all-time
- 2,234 hits – 2nd all-time
- 408 doubles – 3rd all-time
It doesn’t get much better than that.
It’s a tall task for Cole Hamels to pass the greatest player in Phillies history. Hamels has solidified himself in Philadelphia baseball lore as one of the great pitchers in franchise history with two no-hitters (one combined), a World Series MVP, three All-Star games, and four top-eight finishes in the Cy Young.
Here’s where Hamels’ career numbers stand in franchise history among pitchers.
- 42 WAR – 4th all-time
- 114 wins – 6th all-time
- 8.599 K/9 – 3rd all-time
- 1,844 strikeouts – 3rd all-time
- 1,930 innings – 6th all-time
- 294 starts – 4th all-time
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