MLB 21st century face of the franchise — Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley
They called Chase Utley the Silver Fox in deference both to his prematurely graying hair but also in acknowledgment of his stabilizing role on the field.
When the Phillies made five consecutive postseason trips culminated by 2009 and 2009 World Series appearances – and the 2008 World Series title – Utley was a driving force. A five-time All-Star, he drove in 104 runs in 2008, the fourth consecutive season he had topped 100 RBI.
Although never a high-average hitter – his career mark is .275 – the Phillies’ fortunes generally rose or fell with Utley’s. He was a .314 hitter in games Philadelphia won, a .229 hitter in defeats.
It’s no surprise, then, that although traded to Los Angeles when the Phillies fell out of contention in 2015, Utley remains the second most productive position player and fourth most productive overall – as measured by WAR – in the history of the franchise. His 62.0 game contribution is topped only by Mike Schmidt, Robin Roberts and Steve Carlton.
The closest of Utley’s 21st century peers – Bobby Abreu, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels – are all more than 14 games of value behind him.
Utley retired following the 2018 season, having played 13 seasons of his 16-year career with the Phillies. He finished with a career .282 batting average and 233 home runs in Philly.
In the wings: Bryce Harper is contractually bound to Philadelphia through 2031, so he’s the obvious candidate. Harper has largely reprised his career line through four seasons in Philly: a .282 average, 101 home runs and 296 RBI.
He helped lead the Phillies to the 2022 National League pennant, putting him four postseason appearances with the Phils behind Utley. For the moment, Harper also lacks the World Series trophy Utley won in 2008. That, of course, could change soon.