Four former Phillies from 2021 team could get World Series rings with Rangers

Former Phillie Travis Jankowski had the game of his life in his first career postseason start.

The Lancaster, PA native replaced the injured Adolis Garcia in the Texas Rangers’ lineup. As the No. 9 hitter, Jankowski recorded a pair of two-out hits in key situations to flip the lineup over. His second inning single and third inning two-run double kept the rally going for Texas, who scored 10 runs combined in those two innings.

Overall, Jankowski went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in an 11-7 Rangers win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday.

Marcus Semien followed both Jankowski at-bats with extra-base hits. Semien tripled in the second and hit a three-run home run in the third to make it 10-0. Corey Seager followed up Semien’s second inning triple with a two-run home run.

It’s a painful reminder for the Phillies that bottom of the order production matters in the playoffs, especially when you have power bats at the very top of the lineup. It’s why the Phillies aren’t ready to declare Johan Rojas as the team’s Opening Day center fielder.

While Jankowski has reached cult hero status in Texas, he won’t be the only former 2021 Phillie who would receive a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers if they win the series.

Brad Miller, who played for the Phillies in 2019 and 2021, is not on the Rangers’ World Series roster but is a presence in the dugout. Miller played in only 27 games for the Rangers and missed most of the second half with a hamstring injury.

Miller signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Rangers prior to 2022.

Ian Kennedy, who was acquired by the Phillies along with Kyle Gibson from the Rangers at the 2021 trade deadline, appeared in 16 games for Texas in 2023. He was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain in September.

The Phillies’ big trade chip in the 2021 deal with the Rangers, Spencer Howard, appeared in three games for the Rangers in 2023. He was traded to the Yankees at the deadline for cash considerations, released at the end of August and signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in September.

The Rangers currently have a 3-1 series lead on the Diamondbacks with a chance to clinch in Game 5 in Phoenix.

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