Being around since 1883 means the Philadelphia Phillies have a long, rich history. Throughout the years, numerous great players have put on the Phillies uniform, some of which made a name for themselves with their strong presence at the plate.
One sign of a strong hitter is their ability to drive the ball for extra-base hits with regularity. And whether it was thanks to strong gap-to-gap or over-the-wall power, a great number of skilled hitters and sluggers have played for the Phillies throughout the franchise’s 140-year existence.
That being said, here are the top 10 leaders in extra-base hits in Phillies history:
10. Johnny Callison, 534
Callison, primarily a left-handed hitting right fielder, spent the entire 1960s as a member of the Phillies. In that 10-year stretch, he appeared in 1,432 games, was selected to the NL All-Star team three times and finished second in MVP voting in 1964 — a season in which he hit 30 doubles along with 30 home runs. As a Phillie, Callison slugged .457, and of his 534 extra-base hits, 265 were doubles, 84 were triples and 185 were home runs.
9. Sherry Magee, 539
Spending the first 11 seasons of his career with Philadelphia (1904-1914), Magee appeared in 1,521 games for the Phillies. The right-handed hitter spent most of his playing time roaming the outfield grass for Philadelphia and was both a doubles and triples machine. He posted 30+ doubles seven times as a Phillie, while hitting 10+ triples seven times, too. Magee led the entire NL with 39 doubles, tied for his career high, in 1914. The Pennsylvania-born outfielder finished his Phillies career with 337 doubles, 127 triples and 75 home runs.
8. Bobby Abreu, 585
One of the more under-appreciated players of his time, Abreu spent parts of nine seasons in red pinstripes. As a Phillie, Abreu was a two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger Award winner in 2004 and won both the Home Run Derby and a Gold Glove in 2005. The left-handed hitter, who hit the first home run in Citizens Bank Park history, led the majors in triples in 1999 with 11 and led the NL in doubles in 2002 with 50 — his single-season career high. Abreu finished his Phillies career with an impressive .303/.416/.513 slash line, along with 348 doubles, 42 triples and 195 home runs.
7. Chase Utley, 628
Utley is appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year and was recently named as one of the top nine second baseman since the start of 1947 by MLB Network. The former first-round pick was known for his hustle as a player — a trait that helped him compile 628 extra-base hits during his time in Philadelphia. The six-time All-Star also won four Silver Slugger Awards with the Phillies and was a key player for the eventual 2008 World Series championship team. Swinging the bat from the left side, Utley posted 40+ doubles three consecutive seasons from 2006 to 2008 and 30+ home runs in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Overall, he recorded 25+ doubles seven times in his Phillies career, while hitting 20+ homers five times. Utley, whose peak may not have been fully appreciated during his heyday, finished his Phillies career with 346 doubles, 49 triples, 233 home runs and a .481 slugging percentage.
6. Del Ennis, 634
Ennis, a right-handed hitting left fielder, was born in Philadelphia in 1925 and spent the first 11 seasons of his major-league career with his hometown team (1946-1956). During that time, he was selected to three NL All-Star teams and finished in the top-10 of NL MVP voting twice (1946 and 1950). Ennis had two seasons as a Phillie in which he posted double-digits in all three extra-base hit categories — doubles, triples and home runs. His career-high of 40 doubles came in 1948 and his career-high of 31 home runs came two years later in 1950. Altogether, the Philly-born ballplayer hit 310 doubles, 65 triples and 259 home runs for the Phillies.
5. Chuck Klein, 643
Starting and ending his career with the Phillies, Klein spent parts of 15 seasons in Philadelphia. Perhaps the greatest left-handed hitter in franchise history, Klein hit 336 doubles, 64 triples and 243 home runs as a Phillie. While leading the NL in slugging percentage in three straight seasons from 1931 to 1933, Klein also won NL MVP in 1932 and the Triple Crown a year later in 1933 — a season in which he was also the runner-up in the NL MVP race. In 1932, Klein posted 50 doubles, 15 triples and an NL-best 38 home runs. In his Triple Crown year, he hit .368/.422/.602 with an NL-leading 44 doubles, seven triples, and 28 home runs. Klein was inducted into both the Phillies’ Wall of Fame and Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.
4. Ryan Howard, 680
Another player on the list of the greatest left-handed hitters in Phillies franchise history, Howard spent his entire 13-year career in Philadelphia. One of the most prolific home run hitters of not only his time, but also in Phillies history, more than half of Howard’s extra-base hits were round-trippers. The first baseman led the majors in home runs twice — in 2006 and 2008 — while winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2005 and NL MVP a season later in 2006. Howard posted six straight 20+ doubles, 30+ home run seasons from 2006 to 2011, four of which were a string of consecutive 45-plus home runs campaigns from 2006 to 2009. The left-handed slugger finished his career with 277 doubles, 21 triples, 382 home runs and a .515 slugging percentage.
3. Ed Delahanty, 686
Delahanty, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945, appeared in 1,557 games for Philadelphia over the course of 13 seasons. He finished his Phillies career with 442 doubles, 158 triples, 87 home runs and a .508 slugging percentage. The right-handed hitter was clearly no stranger to racking up extra-base hits as a Phillie. While playing for Philadelphia, Delahanty led the majors in doubles three times (1895, 1896 and 1899), once in triples (1892), twice in home runs (1893 and 1896) and four times in slugging percentage (1892, 1893, 1896 and 1899). He also led the NL with 38 doubles in 1901. Delahanty was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1985.
2. Jimmy Rollins, 806
A second-round pick in the 1996 draft, Rollins would go on to become the Phillies all-time hits leader with 2,306. While the switch-hitting shortstop possessed some impressive pop during his playing days, his speed was certainly a factor in him reaching 806 extra-base hits as a Phillie. A three-time All-Star, Rollins had 10 seasons where he hit 30 or more doubles, with eight of them coming in consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2009. The middle infielder also led the NL in triples four times (2001, 2002, 2004 and 2007). Rollins’ impressive 2007 campaign in which he recorded 38 doubles, 20 triples and 30 home runs was a big reason why he was voted as the NL’s MVP that year. In his 15 years with the Phillies, Rollins compiled 479 doubles, 111 triples, 216 home runs and a .424 slugging percentage.
1. Mike Schmidt, 1,015
Without a doubt, Schmidt is the best player in Phillies franchise history. He’s also one of, if not the best, third baseman in the history of baseball. The right-handed slugger was voted NL MVP three times (1980, 1981 and 1986), while being selected to 12 All-Star Games and winning six Silver Slugger Awards. A 1980 World Series MVP and Champion, Schmidt hit 408 doubles, 59 triples and 548 home runs — also a franchise record — during his playing days. He also finished his career with a .527 slugging percentage. During his 18-year career, “Schmitty” led the majors in home runs in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1983, while leading the NL in home runs two other times (1984 and 1986). The third baseman notched 25+ doubles in 11 of his 18 seasons, too. Schmidt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Phillies’ Wall of Fame five years earlier in 1990.