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Top single-season performances by righties in Phillies history

By Kerry Kauffman |
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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Which Phillies right-handed hitters had the best single-season performances in franchise history?

As the middle of winter approaches, thoughts turn to the warmer weather of spring and the crack of the bat. With the start of the baseball season up in the air due to the lockout, time to reflect on the past. There have been plenty of great individual seasons at the plate over the history of the Philadelphia Phillies.

We’ve already covered the best single-seasons by lefty bats, so it’s time to run down the top performances by right-handed hitters in Phillies history over the past 45 years.  It must be noted that I choose 45 years because a criterion is that I had to have seen the player in action and that each player can appear on the list only once. If not, Mike Schmidt could arguably occupy all five spots on the list.

5. Mike Lieberthal, 1999 Phillies

A somewhat surprising member of this list, Mike Lieberthal had a career year in 1999.

Entering his sixth season and third as the Phillies starting catcher, Lieberthal’s previous highs in home runs and RBI were 20 and 77 in 1997. He went on to obliterate those personal bests by belting 31 home runs and knocking in 96.

In addition, Lieberthal had a career-best 33 doubles, a .300 average, and .916 OPS.  He made his first of two All-Star teams as a member of the Phillies and retired as the Phillies’ all-time leader in many offensive categories by a catcher.

WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 27: Jayson Werth #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two run double in sixth inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals on September 27, 2010 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 27: Jayson Werth #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two run double in sixth inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals on September 27, 2010 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

4. Jayson Werth, 2010 Phillies

Jayson Werth came over to the Phillies in 2007 and became a key component of the Phillies 2008 World Series Championship team.

In 2008, he hit .273 with 24 home runs and 67 RBI. The following season, he bolted to career-highs in home runs (36) and RBI (99) for the pennant-winning club.

But Werth’s best overall season with the Phillies was in 2010, when he led the league in doubles with 46, scored 106 runs, hit 27 home runs, knocked in 85, and finished with a .296 batting average and .921 OPS.  Werth was out of Philadelphia following the season and played seven more years in the Major Leagues with the Washington Nationals.

3. Pat Burrell, 2002 Phillies

After finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2000, Burrell improved to 27 home runs and 85 RBI in 2001. He came into his own in 2002 and put together his finest overall season in the Major Leagues. Burrell hit .282 with 39 doubles, 36 home runs, 116 RBI, 96 runs scored, and an OPS of .921.  Although Burrell never made an All-Star team, he went on to hit 30 or more home runs four times with the Phillies and retired with the fourth-most home runs in franchise history behind Mike Schmidt, Ryan Howard, and Del Ennis.

PITTSBURGH, PA – 1978: Greg Luzinski of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates during a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – 1978: Greg Luzinski of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates during a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

2. Greg Luzinski, 1977 Phillies

Greg “The Bull” Luzinski formed half of the feared duo in the middle of the Phillies lineup during the mid-to-late 1970s.

Luzinski began the first of four-straight All-Star seasons in 1975 in which he hit 34 home runs and knocked in 120 runs, but it was his 1977 season that earned him 2nd-place votes for NL MVP and second on this list.

For the 1977 season, Luzinski set career-highs in batting average (.309), home runs (39), RBI (130), slugging percentage (.594), and OPS (.988). Luzinski was part of the 1980 World Series Championship team before playing four seasons with the White Sox. He retired with 307 home runs, including 223 in a Phillies uniform, putting him seventh on the franchise leaderboards.

1: Mike Schmidt (1981)

Is it really a surprise that Schmidt tops this list? The best player in franchise history blasted 548 home runs in his career and hit 30 or more home runs in a season 13 times and at least 40 three times. Many may think his 48 home run, 121 RBI season in 1980 was his best, but Schmidt actually performed better during the strike-shortened 1981 season. In just 102 games, Schmidt hit  31 home runs, 91 RBI, 78 runs, 73 walks, a .435 on-base percentage, .644 slugging percentage, and 1.080 OPS. All those numbers lead the league. In addition, Schmidt took home his second consecutive NL MVP Award.

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