Philadelphia Phillies Top Ten: Abreu out front
By Tab Bamford
On Thursday night, the Phillies will host their 17th annual Goya Latino Family Celebration. A look at the current Phillies player roster would surprise fans of the team of the 1940s and 1950s. Today’s Phillies feature Latino talent in their everyday lineup such as Odúbel Herrera, Cesar Hernández, Maikel Franco, and Jorge Alfaro. Their bullpen has had Hector Neris and Luis García while the starting rotation included Vince Velázquez. One can easily argue that the success of the Phillies in the coming years will hinge on the continued development of these talented Latinos.
However, the Phillies organization’s record historically on the racial front is spotty when one takes into account development of Latino and black talent until recently. The Phillies were not quick to embrace racial integration after Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947. In fact the debut of John Kennedy in 1957 made the team the last to integrate in the National League. The organization also did not look to Latin America for talent during these years. Instead it was through trades for Tony Taylor and Tony González that the Phillies got top-line Latino talent. And arguably the best Latino to ever perform for the Phillies, Bobby Abreu, was another trade acquisition and not home-grown.
Thus, the current Phillies can ultimately produce the strongest home-grown talent the team has ever developed. But do any members of the 2018 Phillies make the cut for the team’s Latino Top 10? To determine our rankings, we kept it simple by using WAR (as calculated by Baseball-Reference.com) as our metric of choice. And while this is one measure of the impact of these players, you might have your own opinion as to who deserves to higher (or lower) on the team’s Top 10.
Are there any surprises on the Phillies list? Anyone you believe is missing? Let us know.
Philadelphia Phillies Top Ten
1. Bobby Abreu
Nine years with the Phillies, 47.2 WAR, two-time All-Star, one Gold Glove, one Silver Slugger
Venezuela
Acquiring Abreu might be one of the best trades in Phillies history. The Tampa Bay Rays selected him from the Astros in the Expansion Draft in 1997 and immediately traded him to the Phillies for Kevin Stocker. Abreu would go on to be one of the better offensive players in Philadelphia history, leading the league with 50 doubles in 2002. He was an on-base machine before it became trendy, finishing all but one of his seasons in Philadelphia with an OBP above .400 (he finished 2001 with a .393 OBP). Over his nine years in Philly Abreu would slash .303/.416/.513 with 891 runs scored, 814 runs driven in, 348 doubles, 195 home runs and 254 stolen bases in 1,353 games.
2. Tony González
Nine years with the Phillies, 24.3 WAR
Cuba
González was traded to the Phillies from Cincinnati in 1960 and emerged as a regular in the Philadelphia outfield for the next decade. He appeared in 1,118 games for the Phillies, slashing .295/.359/.433 with 514 runs scored and 438 runs driven in.
3. Carlos Ruiz
11 years with the Phillies, 21.8 WAR, one All-Star Game
Panama
Ruiz made his Major League debut with the Phillies as a 27-year-old in 2006, but to say that he was a late bloomer would be an understatement. Over the next 11 years he would become a fan favorite in Philly, driving in 401 runs on 898 hits in 1,069 games with the franchise.
4. Tony Taylor
15 years with the Phillies, 17.7 WAR, one All-Star Game
Cuba
Taylor appeared in only one All-Star Game in his 19-year career, and it came weeks after he was traded from the Chicago Cubs to Philadelphia during the 1960 season. Taylor appeared in 1,669 games with the Phillies, which ranks fifth in club history.
5. Plácido Polanco
Seven years with the Phillies, 15.9 WAR, one All-Star Game, one Gold Glove Award
Dominican Republic
Polanco is the first player to show up on three of our top ten lists; he also appears in the Cardinals and Tigers editions. Over two stops in Philadelphia Polanco established himself as a glue guy, playing all over the diamond and doing so effectively both in the field and at the plate. In 688 games with the Phillies Polanco slashed .289/.341/.398 with 365 runs scored and 281 RBI.
6. Juan Samuel
Seven years with the Phillies, 12.0 WAR, two-time All-Star, one Silver Slugger
Dominican Republic
Samuel joined the Phillies for 18 games in 1983 before becoming the full-time second baseman in 1984; he finished runner-up to Dwight Gooden for the National League Rookie of the Year Award that season after leading the league with 737 plate appearances and 19 triples. He stole 72 bases as a rookie, a sign of things to come as he would steal 249 bases in Philly. His biggest offensive season was 1987, his second All-Star year, in which he led the league with 15 triples and set career benchmarks in home runs (28) and RBI (100).
7. Odúbel Herrera
Four years with the Phillies, 11.9 WAR, one All-Star Game
Venezuela
The first active member of the Phillies to make our list, Herrera had a 45-game on-base streak end in May of this year. His hair gets most of the attention but he’s having the finest season of his young career, already establishing new highs in home runs and RBI. He’s well on his way to a fourth season with at least 200 total bases as well.
8. César Hernández
Six years with the Phillies, 8.5 WAR
Venezuela
Hernández is the second active member of the Phillies to make the list, joining countryman Herrera. He led the league with 11 triples in 2016 and has posted an OPS+ of at least 106 in each of the last three years. He is well on his way to career highs in home runs and RBI this season.
9. Cookie Rojas
Seven years with the Phillies, 6.9 WAR, one All-Star Game
Cuba
Rojas joined the Phillies in 1963 and would become a regular in the lineup the following season. Over his seven seasons in Philadelphia Rojas would appear in 880 games. He made his one All-Star Game appearance in 1965 when he posted a career-best .303 batting average and walked (42) more often than he struck out (33) in 142 games.
10. Manny Trillo
Four years with the Phillies, 6.8 WAR, two-time All-Star, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers
Venezuela
Trillo was acquired from the Cubs as a 27-year-old in 1979 and had four solid years before he was part of the infamous Von Hayes trade in 1982. Trillo primarily played second base for the Phillies and was one of the better players at the position during his time with the Phillies.
WHO DID WE MISS? WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS!
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