Ranking the Top 5 greatest shortstops in Phillies franchise history
The Phillies have had some incredible leaders and ball players who have played shortstop over the years. Who makes the cut for the top five greatest shortstops in franchise history?
On many baseball teams, the shortstop is the leader of the team, the guy that everyone looks toward to be the steady hand on the wheel. For years, the Philadelphia Phillies have had shortstops who were bonafide leaders, great baseball players, and the heart and soul of their respective teams.
The five players who made this list were all long-time players in the Phillies organization, with the average tenure with the team being 12.6 years. On this distinguished list, we have future Phillies coaches, an MVP, World Series winners, the all-time Phillies hits leader, perennial All-Stars, and Hall of Famers.
Again, in this particular ranking, we’ll weigh the overall career of the players, the specific time they spent with the Phillies, how successful the teams were that they were on, and lastly, what they mean to the city of Philadelphia and the fans.
In case you missed it, we also ranked the five greatest catchers, first basemen, and second basemen in Phillies history.
Before we jump into the top five, let’s look at some honorable mentions who just missed the list.
Dick Bartell played just four seasons with the Phillies from 1931 to 1934, but they were some of the best years of his career. He slashed .295/.358/.379 during his Phillies tenure and recorded the highest bWAR (4.4) of any Phillies shortstop other than Jimmy Rollins or Larry Bowa.
Freddy Galvis was the everyday shortstop of those not-so-successful Phillies teams from 2012 to 2017. While he wasn’t the offensive threat some of the other players were, he was a defensive standout who made spectacular plays look ordinary.
Kevin Stocker was, for the most part, an average MLB player and played for the Phillies from 1993 through 1997. In 1993, his rookie year, he slashed .329/.409/.417 and earned Rookie of the Year votes. That year, the Phillies won the NL pennant but lost in the World Series.
Without wasting another second, let’s get into the best shortstops in Phillies history.