5 Greatest Philadelphia Phillies Hitters of All Time

Had Abreu played a couple more seasons in Philadelphia, he might rank even higher on this list. He’s not a Hall of Famer, although his voting percentage has increased from his initial year of eligibility. Instead, Abreu is a team leader in the Hall of Very Good.

He played seven of his nine seasons with the Phillies, in which he achieved a WAR above 5.2. And while some of his career success came outside of Philadelphia, he’s still one of only seven players in MLB history to collect 900 extra-base hits and steal 400 bases.

4. Chase Utley, Second Base

The choices for No. 4 and No. 5 came down to Abreu, Utley and Jimmy Rollins. We’re going with the second baseman here. Utley played 13 years with the Phillies, garnering six All-Star Game appearances, including five in a row in the late 2000s.

He also finished in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting three times and finished his Philadelphia career with a slash line of .282/.366/.481. Great numbers for a position not commonly known for its bat.

3. Ed Delahanty, Outfield/Infield

Delahanty ranks second in Phillies history in offensive WAR with a mark of 60.2, 10 points higher than the No. 2 player on this list. He played 13 years in Philly, socking 442 doubles and 1,288 RBIs over the course of the stint, which ran from 1888 to 1889, then again from 1891 to 1900. Playing in that era means he isn’t quite as well known, but for his time, Delahanty was a star.

2. Richie Ashburn, Outfield

In the modern era (i.e. post-deadball era), Ashburn set the standard for Phillies hitters until the arrival of the No. 1 player on the list. He was one of the best bat-to-ball hitters of his generation, perhaps all-time, who hit .300 or better in eight of his 12 seasons in Philadelphia while also leading MLB in walks in four seasons total (one with the Chicago Cubs).

Ashburn was named an All-Star four times as a Phillies player and while he never hit more than four home runs in a season while with the club, he remains one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

1. Mike Schmidt, Infield

Schmidt is an easy choice for No. 1. His 106.9 WAR is almost 43 points higher than the second-place player in franchise history (Utley). Schmidt is the franchise leader in defensive WAR (18.4), games (2,404), plate appearances (10,062), runs (1,506), total bases (4,404), walks (1,507), RBIs (1,595) and home runs (548).

In all, Schmidt played all of his 18 years with the Phillies, making 12 All-Star Games, winning three MVPs, and leading Philadelphia to the 1980 World Series.