Every professional sports team has its heroes and villains. For every franchise-defining legend, you can find a just as infamously despised player whom fans turned against. Some players are so hated that fans have a hard time forgiving and forgetting, even years later.
The Philadelphia Phillies are no different. The franchise has had plenty of players who are remembered positively and revered in the hearts of fans. However, more than a few have also drawn the ire of the Phillies faithful and may never be forgiven in the city of brotherly love.
Every Phillies fan will have their own list of players they hate. But who are some of the universally disliked players in the organization's history?
Here are the top five most hated Phillies players of all time.
No. 5: Odúbel Herrera
Odúbel Herrera did fairly well offensively for the Phillies with a slash line of .297/.344/.418 during his rookie season in 2015. He followed that up with a .286/.361/.420 line during 2016 and a line of .281/.325/.452 in 2017.
Herrera's struggles started in 2018 with a .255/.310/.420 line, followed by a slash line of .222/.288/.341 during 2019. He only played in 39 contests that season, as the organization placed him on administrative leave following an arrest for domestic violence. A month after the incident, the league announced he would be suspended for the remainder of the season. The Phillies designated the centerfielder for assignment the following offseason.
In 2021, Herrera began the year with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs but was promoted when the team needed another outfielder. He finished with a .260/.316/.410 slash line. Philadelphia re-signed him to a one-year deal before the 2022 season. He finished with a pedestrian line of .238/.279/.378 in 62 games. Due to a drop in productivity, injuries, and a domestic violence incident, his career, which looked bright following his rookie year, gradually fizzled.