Phillies All-21st Century team: 25 years in, who have been the best?

The 21st century is in its 25th year, and that span has certainly yielded many memorable moments by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 2008 World Series title and 2009 and 2022 National League pennants were the highlights. The Phillies also experienced other playoff seasons, though several less successful spans left fans wondering if the franchise would ever contend again.

None of the Phillies’ accomplishments would have been possible without certain players swinging the bat and throwing the baseball especially well.

The Phillies have had plenty of luminaries since 2001, including many with Hall of Fame credentials. Certain positions had clear-cut front-runners for the No. 1 spot, though others might be up for debate.

With that in mind, we provide this Phillies All-21st Century team:

The Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard is congratulated in the dugout after he hit a home run in 2013.

First base: Ryan Howard

It ended badly for Howard as his contract kept him with the Phillies after he was injured when the 2011 playoffs ended and was a shell of his former self his last five seasons, when he batted higher than .230 once with four negative WARs. But that doesn’t erase his epic 2005-11 run, in which Howard was a three-time All-Star, NL Rookie of the Year in 2005, MVP in 2006 and regularly made the top 10 in MVP voting. He led the NL in homers with a franchise record 58 in 2006 and 48 in 2008 and in RBI three times. Nobody was more valuable than Howard as the Phillies reached the postseason five straight years highlighted by the 2008 World Series title and 2009 NL pennant, when he was NLCS MVP.

Next best: Jim Thome

Honorable mention: Rhys Hoskins

Second base: Chase Utley

Few players have captured the hearts of Phillies fans more than Utley, whose all-around skill, productive bat and hustle keyed those five straight postseason trips from 2007-11. Utley, drafted out of UCLA in the first round in 2000, was a six-time All-Star who batted .282 with 233 homers during his 2003-15 Phillies stint. He won the Silver Slugger Award as the NL’s best offensive player at second base five times. His 45.5 WAR from 2005-10 was topped only by Albert Pujols. His career 64.5 WAR ranks 15^th all-time among second baseman.

Next best: Cesar Hernadez.

Honorable mention: Jean Segura.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins celebrates after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies during Game 2 of National League Divisional Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 4, 2007.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins

The switch-hitting lead-off man became the Phillies’ all-time hits leader, surpassing Mike Schmidt and finishing with 2,306 during his stellar 15-season stint from 2000-14. He frequently provided clutch hits during the Phillies 2007-11 run of five postseason trips. He was NL MVP in 2007, when Rollins batted .296 with a league-best 20 triples plus 30 homers and 94 RBI. All were career highs. He also stole 41 bases. Rollins was a three-time All-Star and won four Gold Gloves and was also 2007 Silver Slugger winner.

Next best: Trea Turner

Honorable mention: Freddy Galvis

Philadelphia Phillies Scott Rolen drills a two-run triple against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Philadelphia, August 10, 2001

Third base: Scott Rolen

Rolen didn’t always hit it off with Phillies fans, who welcomed his July 2002 trade to St. Louis and greeted him with boos during subsequent visits with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds. But Rolen did put down the foundation for his future Hall of Fame induction during his seven seasons in Philadelphia, where he played on just one winning team. Rolen was NL Rookie of the Year in 1997, won four Gold Gloves in years he wore Phillies pinstripes and batted .282 with 150 home runs and an .877 OPS. He had 31 homers and 110 RBI while being an NL All-Star in 2002. He was even better in St. Louis, but nobody was more productive in the 21^st century among Phillies third basemen.

Next best: Alec Bohm

Honorable mention: Placido Polanco

Phillies Pat Burrell is greeted at the plate by Shane Victorino after a 3-run homer in 2008.

Left field: Pat Burrell

Burrell was the first overall pick in the 1998 draft and had his ups and downs after cracking the Phillies lineup in 2000. As the Phillies struggled to become contenders, Burrell had 37 homers and 117 RBI in 2002 and 32 homers and 117 RBI in 2005 to earn MVP votes. Burrell then smacked a career-best 33 homers for the 2008 champions, doubled to start the tie-breaking inning in decisive World Series Game 5 and led the championship parade down Broad Street.

Next best: Raul Ibanez

Honorable mention: Kyle Schwarber

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in 2012.

Center field: Shane Victorino

The Phillies sensed something special in Victorino when he was plucked from the Dodgers in the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He became a starter in 2006 and was a sparkplug with his glove and bat until a 2012 mid-season trade back to L.A. The “Flyin’ Hawaiian” led the NL in triples during his All-Star 2009 and 2011 seasons, won three straight Gold Gloves from 2008-10 and batted .279 with a .784 OPS for the Phillies.

Next best: Aaron Rowand

Honorable mention: Odubel Herrera

Philadelphia Phillies batter Bobby Abreu follows through as he hits a three-run home run off New York Mets pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez in the first inning of their National League game in New York's Shea Stadium.

Right field: Bobby Abreu

Abreu’s 47.2 career WAR is seventh all-time among Phillies and topped only by Utley and Rollins among 21^st-century players. A Phillie from 1998 until a mid-season 2006 swap to the Yankees, Abreu was an All-Star in 2004, when he was also a Silver Slugger winner, and 2005, when he also won a Gold Glove. He had career highs of 31 homers and 110 RBI in 2001, led the NL with 50 doubles in 2002 and batted .303 with a .928 OPS during his Phillies career. He just lacked the talent around him to hoist his team into the playoffs.

Next best: Bryce Harper

Honorable mention: Jayson Werth

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates his two-run home run during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Catcher: J.T. Realmuto

The workhouse Realmuto has been the king of National League catchers since coming to the Phillies from the Marlins before the 2019 season. He was an All-Star in 2019 and 2021 and has logged a .271 batting average and .778 OPS as a Phillie through June 15 while providing periodic power and uncommon-for-a-catcher speed on the basepaths. Defensively, he earned 2019 and 2022 Gold Gloves while leading the NL in runners caught stealing both years.

Next best: Carlos Ruiz

Honorable mention: Mike Lieberthal

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper celebrates after scoring a run during the 10th inning during the Phillies' 7-3 victory Thursday, March 27, 2025, at Nationals Park in Washington.

Utility: Bryce Harper

Likely Hall of Famer Harper has, ironically, become quite the valuable utilityman and certainly belongs on the list of All-Century Phillies despite not staying in one position long. He was the Phillies’ right-fielder from 2019-21, winning NL MVP honors in 2021, and is now in his second season as their first baseman. The National League adopting the designated hitter rule in 2022 turned out to be perfect timing for the Phillies, as that became Harper’s primary position in 2022 and 2023 after he injured his elbow in early 2022 and had Tommy John surgery after that season. Harper’s 3.6 WAR in 2023 is the best by a Phillies DH, the role he was filling when he launched the decisive home run in the Phillies’ 2023 National League Championship Series win against San Diego.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber follows through on his RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Designated hitter: Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber’s move from left field to DH was slowed by Harper’s elbow issues that kept him off the field but not out of the batter’s box. Since manning the DH spot full-time the last couple years, Schwarber has continued to be among the National League’s best sluggers and run producers, much to the Phillies’ benefit.

Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels walks off the field after the eighth inning in his eventual no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Left-handed starting pitcher: Cole Hamels

Hamels’ WAR of 42.1 from 2006-15 was surpassed by just four other pitchers in Major League Baseball. The Phillies’ first-round 2002 draft choice spent a long stint as ace of the staff, compiling a 3.30 ERA in 295 games, the last a no-hitter at Wrigley Field. Hamels was a 3-time All-Star, had an NL-best 1.082 WHIP in 2008 and was a postseason ace, being MVP of the 2008 NLCS and World Series,

Next best: Cliff Lee

Honorable mention: Ranger Suarez

Right-handed starting pitcher: Roy Halladay

The Hall of Famer and long-time Blue Jay spent only his final four seasons with the Phillies. But in the first two, 2010 and 2011, Halladay was the most effective Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton in 1972. His starts were an absolute sight to behold and were highlighted by a perfect game at Miami and playoff no-hitter against the Reds in 2010. Hallaway was Cy Young Award winner in 2010, when he went 21-10 and led the NL with those 21 wins, nine complete games, four shutouts and 231 strikeouts. He was 19-6 in 2011 with a better WAR (8.8) and ERA (2.35) than the year before.

Next best: Zack Wheeler

Honorable mention: Aaron Nola

Brad Lidge and Carlos Ruiz celebrate their World Series win on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008. After a rain delay, the Phillies and Rays continued play of Game 5 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Phillies lead the series 3-1.

Relief pitcher: Brad Lidge

Lidge’s 48 saves in 48 attempts in 2008 – 41 of them in the regular season -- ranks among the premier closer accomplishments of all time. He made his second All-Star team that year and had a 1.95 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 69 1/3 regular-season innings before logging a 0.96 postseason ERA. Lidge was fourth in the Cy Young Award voting and eighth in the MVP balloting and struck out the final batter to give the Phillies their second World Series title. Injuries led to some struggles the next three years, though Lidge did get 64 more saves. But that one season cements Lidge’s spot here.  

Next best: Billy Wagner

Honorable mention: Jonathan Papelbon

Manager: Charlie Manuel

Manuel steered the Phillies from 2005-13, through the winningest period in their history with five postseason appearances from 2007-11 highlighted by the 2008 World Series win and 2009 NL title. His years of baseball experience, offensive insight and homespun personality proved to be ideal for a veteran, talented crew. He won more games, 780, than any Phillies skipper.

Next best: Rob Thomson

Honorable mention: Larry Bowa

Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.