2. Mike Schmidt (1977): 9.2 fWAR
Following an exceptional season, Schmidt continued to establish himself as one of the Phillies' core players in 1977. Philadelphia manager Danny Ozark received the Manager of the Year Award in 1976. The club, which made the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, sought to build off their solid 1976 season in the following year. They finished with 101 wins and were winners of the NL East division for the second straight season.
Schmidt tied shortstop Larry Bowa with being active for 154 contests; the most games played on the club. The third baseman finished the regular season second on the team and sixth-best in the league with a .967 OPS, the third-highest of his career. He finished behind left fielder Greg Luzinski, who totaled an OPS of .988.
Schmidt scored 114 runs, first on the team and fourth in MLB. He led Philly with 11 triples, tying shortstop Bill Almon and left fielder Gene Richards of the San Diego Padres, Royals designated hitter Hal McRae and Willie Randolph, the Yankees' second baseman, for seventh in the league in the category.
He finished second for the team lead in more offensive categories. Schmidt tied with center fielder Garry Maddox for second on the Phillies with 27 doubles, while his 38 homers were one shy of Luzinski's total of 39.
Schmidt finished second on the club with 101 RBI behind Luzinski's total of 130. Schmidt's RBI total tied with Rusty Staub, the Detroit Tigers' designated hitter, and Chicago White Sox right fielder Richie Zisk for 19th best in the league.
However, Schmidt's 104 walks led Philly and tied with Dodgers right fielder Reggie Smith for fifth most in the majors. Philadelphia's third baseman totaled a slash line of .274/.393/.574. His .393 OBP finished second on the Phillies behind Luzinski's team-leading .394. The infielder's OBP tied for 12th-best in MLB with Texas Rangers third baseman Toby Harrah.
Philadelphia's 1971 second-round pick posted a .574 SLG, the fifth-best in MLB. He trailed Luzinski's .594 for first on the club. Schmidt's SLG was the third-highest of his career, less than his 1980 total and his career-high of .644 in 1981.
For as good a hitter as Schmidt was, he tended to accumulate high numbers of strikeouts during his career. He finished with 122 in 1977, seventh most in the league and second most on the Phillies behind Luzinski's total of 140. Despite this, the third baseman was an offensive force for Philadelphia.