Ranking the Top 5 greatest relief pitchers in Phillies franchise history
Coming into a game when the pressure is highest is a tough job, but the Phillies have had some incredible relievers over the years. Who makes the cut for the top five greatest relievers in Phillies history?
Relief pitchers are an interesting and unique group compared to other positions in Major League Baseball. The best of the best only come in for three outs and appear in 60 to 70 games a season. They have to have a very specific mindset and mental capacity to come through in high-leverage spots to nail down a win or to alleviate the threat from the opposition.
The Philadelphia Phillies have had some incredible relievers, ranging from shutdown closers recording the final outs in World Series victories to Swiss Army knife types who could come in during any situation.
Similar to the other rankings in this series, we’ll weigh the overall career of the players, the specific time they’ve spent with the Phillies, how successful their teams were, and lastly, what they mean to the city of Philadelphia and the fans.
And in case you missed it, we've already ranked the five greatest catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, and third basemen in Phillies history.
Before we jump into the top five, let’s look at who just missed the cut in our honorable mentions.
Jim Konstanty was with the Phillies from 1948 through 1954. He's most known for his one spectacular season with the Phillies in 1950. He appeared in a league-high 74 games, registered a 2.66 ERA, a league-high 22 saves, and went 16-7. Not only did he appear in his lone All-Star appearance that year, but he also won the MVP award.
Ryan Madson played in Philadelphia for nine seasons and was a huge part of the World Series-winning team in 2008. He finished his Phillies tenure with a 3.59 ERA and 52 saves, which ranks him 15th on the all-time list. Madson’s 8.6 fWAR with the Phillies ranks third all-time among relief pitchers.
Mitch Williams, also known as "Wild Thing," was in the Phillies organization for just three years but finished with a 3.11 ERA and accumulated 102 saves, fourth on the all-time saves list for Phillies relievers. He was also the closer for the team that won the NL pennant in 1993.
Now, let's get into ranking the top five greatest relief pitchers in Phillies history.
No. 5: Ron Reed
Ron Reed played for the Phillies from 1976 through 1983 while pitching in 458 games. The 458 games are good for sixth most in Phillies history, and his 90 saves put him seventh on the all-time Phillies saves list. He finished his Phillies career with a 3.06 ERA, 3.07 FIP, and 1.151 WHIP over 809 innings. The right-hander registered a career 9.2 fWAR as a reliever, which makes him the most valuable relief pitcher over the entirety of their career in Phillies history.
While most of the pitchers on this list are bonafide ninth-inning closers, Reed was known for his versatility and ability to eliminate threats when they came up, regardless of the inning. In his career, he made 396 appearances in the eighth inning, 359 in the seventh inning, and 325 in the ninth.
Winning matters in Philadelphia and Reed did just that. In the eight seasons that Reed was on the team, the Phillies reached the playoffs six times and reached the World Series twice. He won the World Series in 1980, the first in franchise history, and was a major contributor to that championship. He appeared in five games during that postseason, with the team winning four of them.
Reed's versatility, career longevity, and contribution to a championship rank him fifth among the all-time greatest Phillies relievers.
No. 4: Steve Bedrosian
Steve Bedrosian played for the Phillies for three and a half seasons, from 1986 through the midway point of the 1989 season, before being traded to the San Francisco Giants. As a Phillie, he registered a 3.29 ERA over 218 games, recording 103 saves. His 103 saves rank him third all-time on the Phillies franchise saves list.
During his tenure with the Phillies, Bedrosian made the All-Star team once and shockingly won the Cy Young Award that same year in 1987. It's unusual for a relief pitcher to win the Cy Young these days, but it was a unique year. Seven other pitchers received votes, but Bedrosian led the league with 40 saves, enough to sway enough voters his way. He's one of four Phillies pitchers to have won the Cy Young Award, along with Steve Carlton, John Denny, and Roy Halladay.
The team didn't have the most overall success during his time in the organization, going 298-348 and not appearing in the playoffs. Bedrosian would go on to win a World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1991 after his two-year stint with the Giants.
The righty finished his career with three seasons in Atlanta, the team that drafted him and with which he played for five seasons from 1981 to 1986 before becoming one of the greatest Phillies relievers.
No. 3: Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon had to find his way onto this list. The hotheaded, right-hander played in Philadelphia for three and a half seasons from 2012 to the midway point of the 2015 season before being traded to the Washington Nationals.
In those seasons, he appeared in 234 games, almost all in the ninth inning or later and had a 2.31 ERA and 1.022 WHIP. Papelbon made his mark in the MLB by shutting the door and closing out games, and he did just that with the Phillies.
He finished his Phillies tenure with 123 total saves, which leaves him as the franchise’s all-time saves leader. A list of the greatest relief pitchers in franchise history can’t leave the all-time leader off the list. This is even more remarkable when factoring in the success of those teams. From 2012 to 2015, the Phillies went 290-357, not even coming close to a playoff appearance.
Papelbon wasn’t necessarily the most beloved Phillie while in the red pinstripes, and those teams didn’t have any success, but there's no doubt he was good at taking the mound in the ninth inning and closing the door. It was a certainty the Phillies could rely on while he was with the organization, and it surely counts for something.
Even though Papelbon is the all-time leader in Phillies saves, the lack of team success and his unlikeability drop him to the third-greatest relief pitcher in team history.
No. 2: Brad Lidge
“Swing and a miss, struck him out!”
Phillies fans will forever hear Harry Kalas’ words and see Brad Lidge striking out Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Eric Hinske and dropping to his knees with elation. The 2008 season was magical for the Phillies and Brad Lidge in particular. That season, he went an astonishing 48 for 48 in save opportunities, had an ERA of 1.95, was an All-Star, and received votes for both MVP and the Cy Young Award.
In total, Lidge spent four seasons with the Phillies from 2008 to 2011, recording a 3.73 ERA, a 3.72 FIP, and a 1.430 WHIP over 214 games. He recorded 100 saves, which puts him fifth on the Phillies all-time saves list. Spending the first six years of his career in Houston and going to the Washington Nationals for one year after his Phillies stint, Lidge would end his career with 225 saves, the 44th most in the history of Major League Baseball.
The right-handed closer was a part of one of the most successful eras in Phillies baseball history. The teams he was on won the division each year, appeared in two World Series while winning the one in 2008, and went a total of 384-264.
Winning means a lot to the people of Philadelphia, and the fans hold a special place in their hearts for Lidge. After the recent failures in the closer role the franchise has had, witnessing a player be perfect for the entirety of a season is special. It's even more special when the last save is for a World Series title.
Lidge easily earns his way to No. 2 on the all-time greatest relievers list in Phillies history.
No. 1: Tug McGraw
Maybe the most famous picture in Phillies history is an ecstatic Tug McGraw with his entire body stretched out, hands high in the air after striking out Willie Wilson to close out the 1980 World Series for the Phillies against the Kansas City Royals. That was the fourth game that McGraw appeared in during that World Series, notching his second save, getting a win in another and suffering the loss in the fourth. He was an integral piece of that memorable Phillies era.
Tug McGraw, 1980 @Phillies pic.twitter.com/nMpx1JGSkf
— Vintage Jerseys & Hats (@PolyesterUnis) May 26, 2023
The left-handed McGraw started his Phillies tenure in 1975 and finished in 1984 when he retired from baseball after 19 years. In his time with the franchise, he pitched in 463 games, ranking him fourth on the Phillies all-time games played list. He secured 94 saves, putting him sixth on the Phillies all-time list, and finished with a 3.10 ERA over 10 years in Philadelphia.
Over his 19-year career, McGraw appeared in two All-Star games, received Cy Young Award votes in one season and MVP votes in an astonishing four seasons. In 1980, the World Series year, McGraw ended the regular season with a 1.46 ERA, 2.36 FIP, and 0.921 WHIP while locking down 20 saves.
He was one of the missing pieces that finally put the Phillies over the edge and secured the first championship in franchise history. In his 10 years, the Phillies made the playoffs six times, appearing in two World Series, and winning the one in 1980. In the decade he was on the team, they went a dominating 872-693, which is a .557 winning percentage.
Tug McGraw was a Phillie for 10 years, had the attitude of a native Philadelphian, and will always be the guy who secured the first World Series in franchise history. As his picture has gone down in Phillies lore, Tug McGraw will go down as the greatest relief pitcher in Phillies history.
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