As the leaves change and summer turns to fall, the Philadelphia Phillies' roster will soon expand from 26 to 28 players. With some fans hoping to see some of the Phillies' most anticipated prospects make their long-awaited debut, MLB.com has others nostalgic, thinking about each franchise's most successful September call-ups, with the Phillies' being none other than shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
The argument could be made for a 2006 call-up of former Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, aka Chooch, or the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year and seven-time All-Star Scott Rolen, who the Phils drafted in 1993 and was one of the brightest spots of the otherwise disappointing 1990s. However, Chooch saw the best years of his baseball career from 2008 to 2012, and a lot of Rolen's most iconic moments are in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, as noted on his Hall of Fame plaque, which was the team he succeeded with after getting traded in 2002. So with that, MLB reigns Phillies' legend "J-Roll" supreme, and rightfully so.
Jimmy Rollins the Phillies' best September call-up in franchise history
Rollins, who manned the left side of the diamond with Rolen for two years, made his MLB debut on Sept. 17, 2000, and immediately put himself on fans' radars when the switch-hitting shortstop tripled into the right field corner of The Vet for his first career big league hit. From that moment on, Jimmy continued to dazzle fans for another 12 years, on the field and off. Our own Andrew Stratton recently broke down some of Rollins' most memorable and under-the-radar plays in Philadelphia.
Rollins cemented himself in Phillies history both in merit and in character, as he remains one of the most recognizable faces from the 2008 championship team to this day. Despite departing the Phillies in 2015, he reunited with his double-play partner, Chase Utley, in Los Angeles.
The 2007 NL MVP and Silver Slugger, who was a three-time All-Star, won four Gold Glove Awards and a World Series in his tenure with Philadelphia. He still holds three franchise records for at-bats, doubles, and hits, though current Phillies shortstop Trea Turner might give him a run for his money. Just earlier this month, Rollins was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame as he continues to hunt down a spot in Cooperstown after becoming eligible back in 2022.
Introducing the newest members of the @Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame: Ed Wade and Jimmy Rollins! pic.twitter.com/Zz3mgsKW92
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 1, 2025
Rollins' name on the 2025 ballot marks his fifth year of eligibility. While his numbers have increased since his debut, he is technically polling lower than his fellow Phillies peers, per Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation. If his former teammate and 2025 inductee, closer Billy Wagner's successful 10th-year push is any indication of how the votes will sway for the next few years, then there's still plenty of hope for the franchise shortstop yet.