Ranking the Top 5 greatest third basemen in Phillies franchise history

No. 5: Plácido Polanco

Plácido Polanco had two stints with the Phillies across seven seasons of his 16-year MLB career. Polanco first came over to the ballclub as part of the 2002 trade with the St. Louis Cardinals that sent superstar Scott Rolen the other way. 

During his first stint with the Phillies, from 2002 to 2005, Polanco put up the best power numbers of his career in back-to-back seasons when he amassed 14 home runs and 63 RBI in 2003 and 17 home runs and 55 RBI in 2004. At the same time, he was able to hold his own and provide solid defense to help stabilize the Phillies infield. However, he accomplished it with more starts at second base than third base at the time.

When Polanco signed back with the Phillies during the 2009-10 offseason, he returned for his second stint that lasted from 2010 to 2012. This time around, as the experienced veteran, third base became his primary position. It was at the hot corner where his defensive prowess began to take precedence over his offensive output. Despite being at the ripe age of 35, his 9 DRS and .977 fielding percentage during the 2011 season helped earn him his third career Gold Glove in a span of five years. 

Moreover, he played a key role in helping the Phillies remain competitive for the playoffs during the 2010 and 2011 seasons despite being plagued by back issues along the way. Being a productive piece of the puzzle for the Phillies in two different decades while compiling a 15.7 fWAR, makes Polanco a worthy candidate on this list.