Few things spark a louder argument in South Philly than asking, “Who’s the best Phillie of all time?”
You’ll get a dozen answers before you even finish the question, usually shouted over a plate of
cheesesteaks and a replay of some October home run on the TV.
Thanks to modern fan-voting sites and decades of box scores, we don’t have to guess what the crowd
thinks. One of the biggest fan-driven lists online collects tens of thousands of votes from Phillies
diehards to rank more than 80 players in franchise history. The result is a living, breathing
ranking of the best Phillies players of all time, shaped not by a spreadsheet or a front office,
but by the people who fill the ballpark and yell at the TV every summer.
This guide breaks down that fan-driven hierarchy, explains why certain legends sit near the top,
and highlights the familiarand sometimes surprisingnames that round out the top 80. We’ll mix
in advanced stats, big-game moments, and a healthy dose of Philly attitude to give you a richer
look at the greatest Phillies ever.
How Fans Built This All-Time Phillies List
The backbone of this ranking comes from a long-running online poll where fans upvote and downvote
their favorite Phillies, creating a constantly updated list of 80+ franchise legends. The rules
are simple but important: fans are asked to rank players based on what they did as Phillies,
not what they did before or after with other teams. That’s why someone like Roy Halladay, who
spent just four seasons in Philly, can still land highthose seasons were unforgettableor why
franchise lifers like Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley sit near the very top.
To give the list more context, we can cross-check it against other perspectives: all-time teams
chosen by writers and historians, positional rankings on MLB.com, and franchise honor rolls like
the Phillies Wall of Fame and the Hall of Fame plaques in Cooperstown. When the fan votes, the
numbers, and the awards all agree, you get a pretty strong case for Phillies greatness.
With that in mind, let’s walk through the top of the fan liststarting with the most slam-dunk
No. 1 you’ll find in any franchise ranking.
Top 10 Best Phillies Players of All Time (Ranked by Fans)
#1 Mike Schmidt, 3B (1972–1989)
If you’ve ever wondered what a perfect marriage of power, patience, and defense looks like,
the answer is Mike Schmidt at third base. Fans and analysts both agree that Schmidt is not
just the best Phillies player ever, but one of the greatest third basemen in MLB history.
He hammered 548 career homers, won three National League MVP Awards, and anchored the lineup
of the 1980 World Series championship team.
Beyond the numbers, Schmidt defined an era. His jersey No. 20 is retired, his statue stands
outside Citizens Bank Park, and his name shows up everywhere from the Hall of Fame to “best
all-time” lists across the sport. When fans fill out all-time Phillies ballots, Schmidt is
the closest thing to a unanimous choice you’ll find.
#2 Steve Carlton, LHP (1972–1986)
Steve “Lefty” Carlton is what happens when a wipeout slider meets stubborn competitiveness.
During his prime in Philadelphia, Carlton collected four Cy Young Awards and finished with
more than 3,000 strikeouts, often carrying teams that weren’t exactly stacked with talent.
His 1972 season27 wins for a last-place clubstill sounds like a typo.
Fans place Carlton just behind Schmidt because he did for pitching what Schmidt did for power
hitting: set the standard. In every generation since, any dominant Phillies lefty gets
measured against Lefty, and that’s a very high bar.
#3 Richie Ashburn, CF (1948–1959)
Before the Vet, before Citizens Bank Park, and before the 2008 core, there was Richie Ashburn.
The speedy center fielder was the heartbeat of the 1950 “Whiz Kids”a slick defender who could
get on base, steal a bag, and then tell the story later as one of the franchise’s most beloved
broadcasters.
Ashburn ranks high in franchise leaderboards for hits, runs, and singles, and his connection
to the city only grew when he moved into the broadcast booth. For older fans, Ashburn is
the bridge between dusty box scores and living memory.
#4 Chase Utley, 2B (2003–2015)
“Chase Utley, you are the man” wasn’t just a famous quoteit became a mission statement.
Utley combined elite base running, sneaky power, and Gold Glove–caliber defense at second base.
Advanced metrics often grade him as one of the most valuable players in baseball during his
peak years, and fans still rave about his relentless style and big-game performances in the
2008 postseason.
Utley’s legacy is as much about attitude as numbers. He ran hard on every grounder, broke up
double plays like it was a personal hobby, and quietly stacked up All-Star nods and Silver
Slugger Awards. In modern fan rankings, he routinely lands in the top tier of all Phillies,
right where he sits here.
#5 Jimmy Rollins, SS (2000–2014)
Jimmy Rollins is the spark plug who spoke a division title into existence. Before the 2007
season, he declared the Phillies “the team to beat” in the NL Eastand then backed it up with
an MVP Award, highlight-reel defense, and the energy that launched a five-year run of division
crowns and back-to-back World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009.
Rollins left Philadelphia as the franchise’s all-time hits leader. Add in his Gold Gloves,
power-speed combo, and larger-than-life confidence, and it’s no wonder fans consistently
rank him among the top five Phillies ever.
#6 Ryan Howard, 1B (2004–2016)
At his peak, Ryan Howard looked like he was playing a different game. From 2006 to 2009 he
piled up homers and RBIs at a video-game pace, winning an MVP Award, a Rookie of the Year,
and anchoring the middle of the 2008 championship lineup. Opposing managers reshaped entire
game plans around avoiding “The Big Piece” with runners on base.
Injuries shortened his prime, but the memories of multi-homer games and upper-deck shots
at Citizens Bank Park are permanently burned into fan brains. In fan polls, Howard’s peak
is so dominant that he still sits solidly in the top 10.
#7 Roy Halladay, RHP (2010–2013)
Roy Halladay’s time in Philadelphia was short, but it was pure baseball art. In 2010 alone,
he threw a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in his first career postseason
startsomething only a handful of pitchers in history can claim.
Halladay’s work ethic and stoic presence on the mound captured Phillies fans immediately.
Even though he doesn’t have the same decade-plus tenure as some others on this list, the
intensity and historic nature of his Phillies years keep him high in fan rankings.
#8 Robin Roberts, RHP (1948–1961)
Robin Roberts is the classic workhorse ace, the guy your grandfather insists would throw
nine innings today “and then ask for the ball again tomorrow.” In the 1950s he routinely
led the league in innings and complete games while anchoring the Whiz Kids’ rotation.
Roberts is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and appears on virtually every “greatest Phillies”
ballotfrom fan polls to official all-time rosters. Fans who value durability and old-school
toughness tend to push him high up their rankings, and the numbers back them up.
#9 Grover Cleveland Alexander, RHP (1911–1917, 1930)
Long before the days of powder-blue uniforms, Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander dominated
hitters in a dead-ball era Phillies uniform. He piled up wins, strikeouts, and microscopic
ERAs, including Triple Crown seasons in which he led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
For many fans, Alexander represents the deep roots of Phillies pitching excellencea reminder
that this franchise has been producing aces for more than a century.
#10 Cole Hamels, LHP (2006–2015)
Cole Hamels is the smooth lefty who grew up in front of Phillies fans’ eyes. From prized
prospect to World Series MVP in 2008, Hamels became synonymous with postseason poise and a
changeup that made right-handed hitters look silly.
He threw a no-hitter in his final start as a Phillie, which felt like the perfect cinematic
ending to his Philadelphia chapter. Fans who lived through that 2007–2011 run rarely leave
him out of their top 10.
The Next Wave: Stars Who Round Out the Top 25
After the ironclad top 10, the rankings get a little more chaoticpartly because you’re
comparing different eras and roles. Still, a few names consistently crowd the top 25 of
fan-driven lists and expert all-time teams.
#11–15: Pete Rose, Jim Bunning, Dick Allen, Chuck Klein, Larry Bowa
Pete Rose didn’t spend his whole career in Philly, but his arrival in 1979 helped
tip the franchise over the top, culminating in the 1980 World Series win. His intensity and
“Charlie Hustle” persona match the city’s personality perfectly.
Jim Bunning gave the franchise a Father’s Day perfect game in 1964 and stacks up
well on any list of Phillies aces. Pair him with Roberts and Halladay, and you’ve got a
three-generation run of dominant right-handers.
Dick Allen might be the most purely talented slugger to ever wear a Phillies
uniformlight-tower power, big personality, and offensive numbers that still jump off the
page. Fan rankings tend to reward his peak, even as debates continue about how to weigh his
complicated relationship with the city.
Chuck Klein, a 1930s superstar, delivered a Triple Crown season and remains one
of the franchise’s early offensive icons. Meanwhile, Larry Bowa embodies the
scrappy, defense-first shortstop archetype that Phillies fans love, contributing to the
late-1970s and 1980 teams and later returning as a manager and coach.
#16–25: Bryce Harper and the Modern Core
In the teens and twenties of modern fan lists, you increasingly see the names of the current
era: Bryce Harper, Bobby Abreu, Darren Daulton, Curt Schilling,
Shane Victorino, Tug McGraw, and others who carried the club in the 1990s, 2000s,
and 2010s.
Harper, in particular, is racing up the rankings. He’s already delivered two NL MVP Awards
in a Phillies uniform and an NLCS MVP performance in 2022, punctuated by the pennant-clinching
homer that turned Citizens Bank Park into pure “bedlam at the Bank.”
Role players and emotional leaders like Victorino, McGraw, and Daulton also get a boost in
fan voting. Their statistics might not match the inner-circle stars, but their clutch moments
and personalities make them permanent fixtures in any conversation about the best Phillies
players of all time.
Beyond the Top 25: Cult Heroes and Deep-Cut Favorites
One of the joys of an 80+ player list is seeing the deep cuts: the relievers who slammed
the door in October, the bench bats who came through with one legendary hit, and the
homegrown players who became fan favorites even without Hall of Fame resumes.
You’ll find names from the 1980 and 2008 championship teams scattered throughout the
middle of the rankings, along with 1993 pennant heroes and modern standouts like
J.T. Realmuto, Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler. Their careers are still being
written, which means their spots on the list are very much “subject to change”especially
if more deep postseason runs are on the way.
Fans also reward longevity and loyalty. A solid starter who spent a decade in red pinstripes
will often outrank a star who stopped by for only a season or two, even if the short-timer
was technically better at his peak. That’s the charm of fan rankings: they measure emotion,
memory, and narrative as much as WAR and OPS+.
What These Rankings Say About Phillies Fans
When you zoom out, the 80+ best Phillies players list tells a story about the fanbase itself:
-
Defense and grit matter. Players like Utley, Rollins, Bowa, and Victorino rank high
not just for numbers, but for hustle plays and glove work. -
Big moments are everything. Halladay’s no-hitter, Harper’s pennant homer, Hamels’
October dominanceone iconic performance can rocket a player up the list. -
Winning eras shape the top tiers. The 1980 and 2008 title teams are heavily represented,
as are the modern postseason runs. Rings, banners, and champagne celebrations leave long shadows. -
History isn’t forgotten. Early-era stars like Alexander, Klein, and Roberts still
hold strong positions, proving that Phillies fans respect the deep roots of their franchise.
Ultimately, any “best Phillies players of all time” list is part statistics lecture, part
group therapy, and part family argument. And that’s exactly how fans like it.
Living the List: Real-World Experiences Debating the Best Phillies Ever
If you really want to understand what this ranking means, you have to experience it the
way actual Phillies fans do: not on a spreadsheet, but in the wild.
Picture a summer night at Citizens Bank Park. It’s the fourth inning, Harper has just launched
a ball into Ashburn Alley, and somewhere in your section someone stands up and yells,
“He’s already better than Howard!” Half the row nods. The other half looks like they’ve
just been personally insulted. Within seconds, you’ve got a live, in-game seminar on
franchise history happening between bites of a hot dog.
Older fans will bring up Mike Schmidt’s 1980 season or remind anyone under 30 that Robin
Roberts once rattled off 28 straight complete games. Someone will mention that their dad
swore Richie Ashburn was the best everyday player he ever saw, not because of raw power,
but because “he always seemed to be on base.” Younger fans will fire back with Utley’s
postseason heroics or Harper’s NLCS MVP run, arguing that October moments should count
double when it comes to rankings.
The conversation doesn’t stay in the ballpark, either. In South Philly rowhomes, family
dinners sometimes turn into mini Hall of Fame debates. A grandparent might insist that
Grover Cleveland Alexander deserves more love, while a teenager counters with screenshots
of fan polls that show Bryce Harper rocketing up the all-time list. One kid argues for
Chase Utley because he wore his jersey to school every day in October 2008. Another leans
toward Cole Hamels because that was the first World Series parade they remember.
Sports bars around the city see the same dynamic. A rain delay or a blowout game becomes
background noise while tables of friends start ranking their personal top 10 Phillies.
Someone tries to sneak a reliever or a cult hero into the listTug McGraw, Shane Victorino,
or “Chooch” Carlos Ruizand nobody really disagrees, because everyone has an emotional soft
spot for the guys who weren’t the biggest stars but seemed to come through when it mattered.
Even online, where the big fan-driven rankings live, the experience feels communal. Fans
vote, rerank, argue in the comments, and then come back a year later to see how things
have changed. A deep postseason run can send a player flying up the standings. A newly
retired star may get a sympathy bump as nostalgia starts to kick in. The list itself is
never truly finishedit evolves with every season, every October run, every new highlight
that gets replayed on local TV for the next decade.
That’s what makes “The 80+ Best Phillies Players of all Time, Ranked By Fans” more than
just an SEO-friendly headline. It’s a snapshot of how a passionate, demanding, and deeply
loyal fanbase sees its own history. It’s part museum, part message board, and part love
letter to the players who made people scream themselves hoarse on chilly October nights.
And if you don’t like where your favorite Phillie ended up? Simple. Cast your vote, make
your case, and join the argument. In Philadelphia, debating the greatest Phillies players
isn’t just a pastimeit’s part of the job description of being a fan.
