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Former Phils closer reaches Hall of Fame. Will Phillies double-play duo join him?
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- Former Phils closer reaches Hall of Fame. Will Phillies double-play duo join him?
The stalwarts of the last great era of Philadelphia Phillies baseball won't be enshrined in Cooperstown, New York, this summer.
But the Phillies will still be represented when the next class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is inducted later this year.
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As revealed Tuesday night, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted in former Phillies closer Billy Wagner in his 10th and final year of eligibility. Wagner's name needed to appear on 75% of ballots to make it in. It appeared on 82.5%.
Phillies legends Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins fell short of the 75% threshold. Utley, in his second year on the ballot, received 39.8% of the vote. Rollins, in his fourth year, received 18%.
Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins (11) celebrates with second baseman Chase Utley (26) after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park May 18, 2014.
Former Phillie Bobby Abreu also appeared on the ballot for a sixth year. He received 19.5% of the vote.
Wagner is one of two former Phillies who will be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27.
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In December, the Classic Baseball Era committee named Phillies slugger Dick Allen and Pirates great Dave Parker as the first two members of the class of 2025. The committee considers players beyond their eligibility on the primary Hall of Fame ballot.
The Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday also voted in Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia .
HALL OF FAME CASES: Which Phillies stand the best chance to go into Hall of Fame with Dick Allen?
Utley's path to Cooperstown remains promising
The longtime Phillies second baseman does not have the career counting stats of many of the hitters of previous eras, but his strong peak is beginning to convince more voters.
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Utley jumped 11 percentage points from his first year on the ballot. He is 29.6 points ahead of Wagner after his second year and 22.6 points ahead of former Phillies third basemen Scott Rolen, who reached the hall in 2023 in his sixth year on the ballot.
The BBWAA hasn't voted in a second basemen with fewer than 2,000 hits since Jackie Robinson in 1962. Utley finished with 1,885 after being severely hampered by injuries in the second half of his career.
But are hall voters going to leave out a player who was clearly at the best at his position during his prime?
From 2005-2009 Utley had a .301/.388/.535 line while averaging 29 home runs, 39 doubles and almost five triples per season. In that span, only Albert Pujols accumulated more wins above replacement among hitters than Utley's 39.7, according to Baseball Reference .
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Future hall of fame voting could crystallize Utley's case.
In 2027, former Giants catcher Buster Posey will go on the ballot for the first time. Posey, who finished with 1,500 hits but guided the Giants to three World Series wins, is considered a lock to reach the hall. But it would be hard to honor his short-peak career and not Utley's.
The odds for Jimmy Rollins look more dubious. Rollins' 18% tally in year four on the ballot is up only 3.2% from last year. He will stay eligible for up to 10 years as long as he appears on at least 5% of ballots each year.
Cole Hamels joins the ballot next year
Cole Hamels made 422 starts in 15 seasons.
Hamels has an interesting case if hall voters are willing to amend their requirements for starting pitchers as the demands of the role shift for modern players.
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In 15 seasons, Hamels pitched to a 3.43 ERA and averaged 171 strikeouts. He has the highest bWAR (59) of the newcomers to the ballot.
Over his Phillies tenure, according to Baseball Reference , Hamels ranked third in the MLB in ERA+ behind Zack Greinke and Felix Hernandez , who debuted on the ballot this year with 20.6% of votes.
Long wait worth it for Wagner
Wagner fell five votes short of enshrinement in 2024, his ninth year of eligibility. He finished 29 votes over the 75% threshold in 2025.
The all-time leader in strikeout rate (11.92 per nine innings), Wagner is one of the most dominant left-handed relievers in league history. No left-hander in the live-ball era had a lower career ERA (2.31) or WHIP (0.998).
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Wagner's Phillies career was brief — many fans may think of him more as a rival Met or Brave.
Wagner came to Philadelphia after nine successful seasons in Houston . He pitched to a 1.86 ERA in 126 innings across 120 games in a Phillies uniform in 2004 and 2005. Wagner then spent parts of the next four seasons with the New York Mets before finishing his career in Boston and Atlanta .
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com .
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Will Phillies' Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins reach baseball Hall of Fame?
