That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Philadelphia Phillies: 3 underrated players from rebuilding era

By Hunter Doyle

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 15: The Philadelphia Phillies bench looks on during the ninth inning of their 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 15, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 15: The Philadelphia Phillies bench looks on during the ninth inning of their 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 15, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Starting pitcher Alec Asher #49, pitching coach Bob McClure #22, and Cameron Rupp #29  of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Starting pitcher Alec Asher #49, pitching coach Bob McClure #22, and Cameron Rupp #29  of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /

While the rebuilding era is one most Philadelphia Phillies’ fans would like to forget, let’s take a look back at some of the lone bright spots.

Baseball is sorely missed right now, especially with the anticipation of what was expected to be an improved Philadelphia Phillies team. Unfortunately, there’s nothing that we can do except stay home to protect ourselves and protect others during this global pandemic with the MLB season suspended.

We can still watch the re-airs of some of the best Phillies games in recent history on TV and dream about what could’ve been this year with Bryce Harper under manager Joe Girardi and hitting coach Joe Dillon. There are also still the MLB The Show simulations to watch, and we can marvel at the absurd numbers the Phillies’ virtual lineup can put up.

However, it doesn’t replace the adrenaline rush that Phillies fans are longing to feel again. Watching games and highlights from 2007-2011 brings back the memories of the record crowds, the rally towels, and the city that was all in on baseball. Witnessing that era begin to fade away was painful, especially when the Phillies held on to players like Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard but the production was not there anymore.

That led to the full-scale rebuild from 2015-2017. While the Phillies still missed the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, they made moves indicating they were ready to compete and were in the playoff race for most of those seasons. They weren’t nearly as disgraceful as the 2015-2017 seasons were. However, it was still the best course of action since the Phillies needed to build a core of younger players.

To say the least, it had been a while since the Phillies had to suffer through painful seasons like this. This era tested the loyalty of true fans. Those who did remain faithful to the team were rewarded with a few bright spots despite the dreadful experience.

These players gave Phillies fans hope that they could make it through this era. While they likely won’t be remembered by most fans, they still helped the young players learn how to win and helped transition this team to a playoff contender.

Let’s take a look at three underrated players from the rebuild era:

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