Ranking the Top 5 greatest third basemen in Phillies franchise history

The hot corner is often known to be a power producing position over the history of the sport. It's also a physically demanding defensive position that requires quick reflexes and a strong arm to help prevent opposing runners from getting on base.

Over the past century and a half, the Philadelphia Phillies have had various players who have had the distinct opportunity to play at third base for the ballclub, but only a select few have risen above and beyond expectations. Before counting down the top five third basemen in team history, let's recognize a few honorable mentions.

In case you missed them, we have already ranked the five greatest catchers, first basemen, second basemen, and shortstops in Phillies history.

Dave Hollins was picked up by the Phillies from the San Diego Padres through the Rule 5 Draft in 1989. He may have only been a Phillie for just six seasons from 1990 to 1995, but he was fundamental in helping the ballclub reach the World Series in 1993. Not only was he named an All-Star that year, but he also ranked second on the team in runs scored (104), third in hits (148), fourth in home runs (18) and second in RBI (93).

Looking back a few generations, Merrill Glend “Pinky” May may ring a bell for some of the longest-tenured fans. Despite having just a five-year MLB career from 1939 to 1943 during World War II, he made the most of it with five productive seasons with the Phillies. With a strong plate approach, May posted a solid .275 career batting average while maintaining an exceptional walk-to-strikeout ratio greater than 2:1. His best season came in 1940 when he hit for a career-best .293 average, with a .727 OPS, 58 walks, and 59 runs scored, leading to his only All-Star nomination.

Going back a little further in history, Pinky Whitney played a major role with the Phillies in parts of 10 seasons from 1928 to 1933 and 1936 to 1939. More notably, he was an absolute stud in his early years with the ballclub, constantly putting up close to a .300 batting average along with triple-digit RBI production in four of his first five seasons in the league. 

Without further ado, let's dig in to the five greatest third basemen in Phillies 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.

No. 3: Scott Rolen

When it comes to the perfect blend of solid offense and dynamic defense, none have done it better than Scott Rolen. The Phillies' second-round pick from the 1993 MLB Draft spent seven seasons with the team that drafted him, from 1996 to 2002, and appeared to be headed towards stardom right from the get-go.

His 21-home run, 92-RBI rookie season earned him NL Rookie of the Year honours. From there, Rolen was able to consistently put up close to 30 home runs and 100 RBI per season when paced over a 162-game schedule.

More significantly, his exceptional defensive capabilities began to take shape as he captured four Gold Gloves over his seven-year stint with the ballclub. But despite Rolen’s stellar performance on both sides of the field throughout his tenure with the Phillies, he was unsuccessful in leading the team to the postseason.

Things didn’t go smoothly when he ultimately ended his tenure with the ballclub. He believed that the organization didn’t have a genuine commitment to winning and ended up being traded to the Cardinals in 2002.

In total, Rolen finished with a lifetime .282 batting average with the Phillies, along with an .877 OPS, 533 runs scored, 207 doubles, 150 home runs, 559 RBI, and 71 stolen bases, ranking him in the top five all-time among Phillies third basemen in most of those categories.

He might not be the best to have ever played at the hot corner for the Phillies in terms of his overall offensive numbers. But considering his stalwart defense, Rolen is perhaps the best well-rounded third baseman to have ever suited up for the ballclub, other than, of course, No. 1 on our list.

Rolen's accomplishments have been recognized at the highest level, as he was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame last year. He was also inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2023, and it seems fans have forgiven him.

No. 2: Dick Allen

For the legendary Dick Allen, it is quite unbelievable that he's not already in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Allen spent nine spectacular seasons with the Phillies during his 15-year MLB career. He burst out of the gate during his rookie season in 1964 when he hit .318 with a .939 OPS, along with 29 home runs and 91 RBI. He even led the National League with 125 runs scored, 13 triples, and 352 total bases en route to being named NL Rookie of the Year.

Allen would sustain that success over his subsequent seasons with the Phillies up until 1969. He was one of their main offensive driving forces and led the NL in various offensive stats at the same time. He also earned three All-Star nods in the process.

He later rejoined the Phillies for a second stint for the 1975 and 1976 MLB seasons. Although, at that stage of his career, he was no longer a strong offensive force. But he did lend a hand in helping the Phillies reach the postseason for the first time in over 26 years in 1976.

Most will probably remember Allen finishing his career mainly as a first baseman, but the bulk of his early years were played primarily at the hot corner. With a lifetime .290 batting average, .902 OPS, 153 OPS+, along with 697 runs scored, 204 doubles, 204 home runs, 655 RBI, and 86 stolen bases in 1,070 career games with the Phillies, there isn’t anyone who could possibly top that, other than the next player on our ranking of the greatest third basemen.

No. 1: Mike Schmidt

When it comes to the best of the best, no one even comes close to the legendary Mike Schmidt. Perhaps one of the most iconic figures in the history of the Phillies franchise, there sure isn’t anyone among the Phillies faithful who hasn’t heard his name before.

After all, the former Phillies second-round pick from the 1971 MLB Draft ended up spending his entire 18-year MLB career in Philadelphia from 1972 to 1989, which is an extreme rarity in the game today.

Schmidt was a consistent dominant force for the Phillies both offensively and defensively throughout his career. The 12-time All-Star led the National League in numerous offensive stats over the years and was the winner of three MVP Awards, six Silver Slugger Awards and 10 Gold Glove Awards. On top of that, he led the ballclub to the postseason on six different occasions, including winning their first ever World Series championship in team history in 1980 and capturing World Series MVP honours in the process, enough said.

For his career, Schmidt batted .267 with a stellar .908 OPS, 148 OPS+, 1,506 runs scored, 408 doubles, 59 triples, 548 home runs, 1,595 RBI, and 174 stolen bases in 2,404 games. In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, Schmidt was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility after receiving 96.5 percent of the votes, the third-highest percentage ever for a third baseman behind only George Brett and Chipper Jones.

Not only is Schmidt the greatest third baseman ever to have played for the Phillies, given his exceptional accolades from both the offensive and defensive side of the game, many will argue that he is perhaps the best third baseman to have ever played the game on this planet.

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