Five former Phillies are on the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

Five former Phillies have made the 2023 ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Official 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot
Former Phillies on the Ballot
- Jimmy Rollins
- Jayson Werth*
- Bobby Abreu
- Scott Rolen
- Billy Wagner
* = first year on ballot
Jimmy Rollins
The case for Jimmy Rollins making the Baseball Hall of Fame is a fascinating one. Rollins holds the longest hitting streak by a shortstop since 1894, was the backbone of the 07-11 Phillies playoff takeover, has four gold gloves, and a World Series Ring. He hit .298/.344/.478 in his 2007 MVP season, playing all 162 games while slashing 30 HRs and 94 RBIs.
Other Notable Achievements by Jimmy Rollins
All-time Phillies hits leader:Â Jimmy Rollins leads the Phillies franchise in all-time hits with 2,306. He passed players like Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn, Ed Delahanty, and more to obtain this honor.Â
Shortstop History: There’s one shortstop in the history of major league baseball with 200 HRs and 400 SBs…that shortstop is Jimmy Rollins. Jimmy wasn’t the type of guy that would go out and hit 50 home runs every season. But when he wasn’t hitting home runs, he was finding gaps, finding grass, and flying around the bases.
MVP:Â Jimmy Rollins is the only shortstop in the National League to win MVP in the last 25 years. The last shortstop to do it was Barry Larkin in 1995, and before that, Maury Willis in 1962.Â
Jayson Werth
Former Phillies Jayson Werth is on the ballot for the first time in his career after playing 15 seasons in the MLB.
Werth was with the Phillies from 2007-2010, playing 543 total games for the team. He slashed .282/.380/.506 in Philly, with his best season coming in 2010, where he played 156 games, tallying a .921 OPS and a 144 OPS+.
Jayson Werth was a fan favorite when he was here due to his power-hitting bat out of the outfield. He became “hated” by a lot of people when he went to Washington to make more money (like most baseball players do).
Werth is a career .267/.360/.455 hitter with 229 HRs and 799 RBIs. He’s a 1x All-Star, World Series Champion (2008), and has finished Top 10 in MVP voting once.
Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu is one of the most underrated players of the last few generations. The 2x All-Star, HR Derby Champ, Silver Slugger Winner, and Gold Glove Winner is back on the ballot for 2023. \
Abreu’s career started off for two years in Houston, but a big chunk of his fantastic 18-year stint came in Philadelphia, where he played from 1998 to 2005. Abreu slashed .303/.416/.513 in 1,353 games in Philadelphia, crushing 195 HRs, 814 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 139.
After 9-years in Philadelphia, Abreu made his way around the league, playing nine more years with the Angels, Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers. He holds a career OPS+ of 128, but his best years certainly came in Philadelphia.
Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen’s career started off in Philadelphia, slashing .282/.373/.504 in 844 games. Rolen played from 1996 to the first half of 2002 and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Placido Polanco, Mike Timlin, and Bud Smith.
The flashiest part of Rolen’s game was his defense, winning eight gold gloves throughout his career, with four of them coming in Philly. He’s a World Series Champion, won Rookie of the Year, 7x All-Star, and a Silver Slugger Winner.
Rolen has a career slashline of .281/.364/.490 in 17 seasons in the pros. He played four years with Cincinnati following his time in St. Louis and ended his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rolen retired after the 2012 season.
Billy Wagner
Wagner’s career in Philadelphia wasn’t a long one, spending just 2004 and 2005 with the Phillies. He held a 1.86 ERA in 120 games for the Phillies, striking out 146 while walking just 26.
Billy Wagner was one of the best relievers in baseball for a long period of time, winning Rolaids Reliever of the Year at one point in his career. He held a career ERA of 2.31 in 16 seasons, with Houston being his main team for nine years.
Wagner is a 7x All-Star and played for five teams in his career.