Phillies: Top 5 most overrated players in team history
Which Phillies fan favorites should be considered “overrated”
When it comes to reminiscing on former Phillies greats, the word “overrated” is rarely a term thrown around by fans. It’s simply far more fun to reflect back and point out all the underrated ex-Phils who donned the red and white pinstripes. Especially when it comes to the championship squads of 1980 and 2008, it’s hard to really pin anyone as “overrated.”
However, reality is often disappointing. While the Phillies have had their fair share of all-time greats come through the city over the years, they’ve also had their fair share of overrated players come through. Whether it’s through All-Star game selections, “Wall of Fame” inductions, or even just general fan perception, here are the top five Phillies in franchise history who were perceived as better than they actually were.
This article is almost guaranteed to rub some loyal fans the wrong way, but stick with me as I lay out the numbers to back each claim.
#5. Brett Myers
Brett Myers is one of the most beloved players when it comes to that glorious championship winning roster of 2008. A man who still regularly interacts with Phillies fans today on social media, it’s hard not to like everything about the guy. However, when it comes to his actual on the field performance with the Phillies, he was a super average pitcher.
In his eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, he posted a career ERA of 4.40. He only recorded two seasons with an ERA under 4.00 (2005, 2006), and even saw his ERA climb all the way up to 5.52 during the 2004 season.
A lot of fans may be quick to point out that he played a crucial role in the team’s 2008 World Series run, but even then Myers was a slightly below average starter by today’s standards. His 4.55 ERA and 1.379 WHIP during the ‘08 season would be comparable to that of modern day starters Zach Eflin and Vince Velasquez (yikes!).
Myers did have some strong outings during the 2008 postseason, pitching well against both the Brewers and Rays, but even then he still had his mishaps. Myers allowed five runs in five innings during his sole start in the NLCS.
Phillies fans hold Myers in a super high light today, likely due to his bubbly personality and his World Series ring. However, when it comes to actual production, Myers simply wasn’t all that good.
*(Myers best season came in 2009, when he pitched for the Houston Astros, not the Phillies)*
#4. Larry Bowa
Easily the most controversial name to land on this list, the longtime Phillies shortstop and manager has unfortunately found himself as one of the more misperceived Phillies of all time. While he no doubt deserves to be remembered amongst Philadelphia fans for the prominent role he played during the 1980 World Series run, his statistical production simply never matched up with the way fans viewed him.
While Larry Bowa was no doubt remembered primarily for his fielding (two Gold Gloves), even then his on-field production never matched up with some of the accolades he received. Honored as an All-Star on five different occasions, there’s a legit argument to make that he was undeserving of said recognition during at least two of those seasons.
During his All-Star season of 1976, Bowa recorded a horrific OBP of .283. By all intents and purposes that’s absolutely atrocious. Elite fielding and electric baserunning aside, making it on base 28.3% of the time as a shortstop is by no means worthy of an All-Star nod. For reference, Maikel Franco had a higher OBP last year (.297).
During Bowa’s All-Star season of 1979, his offensive production was once again equally as terrible. His batting average dipped to .241 and his OBP barely hovered above .300. Even during the iconic World Series run of 1980, Bowa posted one of the worst on-base percentages on the team.
For the record, Bowa is still easily the best defensive shortstop in Phillies history. He led the NL in fielding percentage on six different occasions and sits near the top of the MLB in terms of outfield assists and double plays. However, when it comes to looking at Bowa as a complete, all-around baseball player, he simply wasn’t that.
It’s hard to even compare Bowa to other Phillies shortstops like Jimmy Rollins when Bowa so mightily struggled at the plate.
#3. Darren Daulton
Another member of the Phillies “Wall of Fame”, the former Phillies catcher of the 1980s/1990s really didn’t have all that impressive of a playing career during his tenure with the team. His career .245 batting average and his measly three All-Star game selections tell the story of a player who was occasionally good, as opposed to routinely good.
Darren Daulton’s first eight years with the Phillies were downright catastrophic. He hit under .200 twice and even saw his OPS dip into the .500s. Daulton was primarily used as a backup option during his first few years with the team, coming on as a defensive option when Lance Parrish or Ozzie Virgil. Jr needed days off. However even playing in the limited role that he was, Daulton’s state lines were comparable to that of Andrew Knapp’s.
Now the everyday starter behind the plate, Daulton broke through during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. He led the National League in RBIs with 109 during the ‘92 season, and then followed that up with 105 RBIs the next year. He was selected to consecutive All-Star games and it truly looked like the Phillies had found their next superstar catcher.
However, following his two stellar seasons, Daulton began experiencing serious knee problems. The injuries would limit his availability during his final two years with the Phillies. Daulton made one final All-Star game in 1995 (despite only finishing the season with 55 RBIs) before being traded to Florida in 1997.
While Daulton no doubt had some monster performances in 1992 and 1993, the rest of his Phillies career was largely forgettable. His inclusion in the Wall of Fame next to John Kruk and Harry Kalas of all people simply feels out of place.
#2. Robin Roberts
The all-time “pitching WAR” leader for the Phillies, the very first player to be inducted to the “Wall of Fame”, and even an MLB Hall of Famer, Robin Roberts is unfortunately unfairly rated.
Perform a quick Google search and you’ll find list after list labels him as one of the best pitchers in baseball history. Many sites have him firmly planted as the second best Phillies pitcher of all time, positioned ahead of guys like Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay. While his WAR is obviously extremely high, the rest of his numbers paint a far different picture.
Across 14 seasons with the Phillie, Roberts posted an ERA of 3.46. That’s not even good for top 35 amongst all Phillies pitchers. He even had five separate seasons where his yearly ERA sits above a 4.00. In his final year with the Phillies, Roberts finished up with a win-loss record of 1-10, while also posting a 5.85 ERA.
Roberts was selected to seven All-Star games, but even that has some controversy hovering around it. During his 1956 All-Star year, Roberts led the National Leagues in losses while simultaneously owning an ERA in the mid-4.00s. He led the MLB in complete games that year, but he also led the MLB in hits, earned runs, and home runs. Pitching for pitching’s sakes doesn’t necessarily make you an ace.
Roberts definitely had his moments when it came to pitching for the Phillies, don’t get me wrong. He was dominant throughout his first couple years in the league and would regularly pitch complete games and shutouts. However, considering he did pitch predominantly in the 1950s, it was also deemed common to pitch all nine innings during a start.
Roberts WAR is no doubt inflated due to his heavy usage and longevity with the Phillies, and while that’s not necceasrily a knock on him as a player, it’s also not necessarily something that makes him better than all the other Phillies pitchers. When it comes to ranking the best Phillies aces of all time, he simply doesn’t compare to that of Steve Carlton, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, etc.
#1. Matt Stairs
Ah, the owner of one of the most iconic Phillies memories in team history. During the legendary World Series run of 2008, Matt Stairs came on as a pinch hitter in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and absolutely drilled a baseball “into the night”. With one simple swing of the bat, Stairs became a fan favorite amongst the Philly faithful for years to come. Fans printed t-shirts with his face on them, and even today people in Citizens Bank Park still talk of him as some unsung hero.
Unfortunately, that’s just not the case.
For starters, Stairs only made 148 plate appearances as a Phillie in the regular season, making little to no impact during that time. Across the span of two seasons used primarily a pinch hitter, Stairs hit just seven home runs. He posted a batting average of .208 (his lowest with any team) and struck out 30 times during the 2009 season.
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After Stairs’ super underwhelming 2009 season, he entered free agency and was ultimately forced to sign a minor league contract to continue playing.
Many fans may be quick to point out that Stairs was a far more productive player in the postseason, but even that logic has its own flaws to it. While he did step up in an extremely clutch situation during that LA game in 2008, outside of that he was largely useless when it came to October. In 14 total postseason at-bats as a Philadelphia Phillie, he has just two total hits.
Stairs’ iconic two-run shot in the 2008 NLCS will be remembered forever, however his legacy as a Philadelphia Phillie should not share that same sentiment.