February 13, 2024
Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports
The Flyin' Hawaiian is among the best outfielders in Phillies history.
Over the last few winters, we've passed the time by ranking things. We ranked every Eagles player, and Sixers player by position while also throwing in some other lists that weren't quite as fun.
For the next two weeks, leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater for the 2024 Phillies season, we decided to take a look at each position in the Phillies storied 100+ year history and come up with a list of the all-time greats at each position.
We're going to limit our lists to 10 (with a few extra mentions) in part because there have been more than 2,000 different players to appear in at least one game for the Phillies. But we did look at everybody.
Continuing with centerfield we had a few requirements. We strived for players who started at the position for at least three seasons in Philadelphia (but we made a few exceptions) and their statistical and cultural impact were both weighed when making these rankings.
There is a ton of talent at centerfield, making it clear that the team has had a lot more historical success there than the corner outfield positions. Before we dive into our top 10, here's a look at a handful of centerfielders that either didn't qualify or make the cut talent-wise:
| Player | Games | Notes |
| Odubel Herrera | 817 | 2016 All-Star |
| Ben Revere | 335 | .303/.331/.363 |
| Marlon Byrd | 410 | .268/.324/.404 |
| Milt Thompson | 584 | .279/.343/.372 |
| Del Unser | 550 | 268/.340/.404 |
| Buster Adams | 335 | .266/.346/.397 |
| Dode Paskert | 953 | .272/.357/.374 |
And now our list of the 10 best centerfielders in Phillies history — which starts with a few very household names:
Nick Tricome: An unmatched contact hitter and, from the field and then into the broadcast booth, one of the greatest Phillies of all-time. You can't walk through the concourses of Citizens Bank Park without seeing just how much "Whitey" meant to this club.
Evan Macy: I know a lot of Phillies fans credit Jimmy Rollins with having the swag on the 2007-12 teams that had so much success, but for me, Victorino was the definition of cool. He had those baggy pants and had this unique combination of extreme effort and chill that made him really easy to like. He won a second World Series a few years later with the Red Sox and I couldn't have been happier for him.
Nick: Maddox was everything you could've wanted out of a centerfielder in this era of baseball. A solid bat, impressive speed along the basepaths, unparalleled defense out in the field, and of course, an ability to rise to the occasion.
Evan: Hamilton was the quintessential early baseball star, playing small ball better than nearly anyone else. He has more than 50 more stolen bases than Rollins, holding a franchise mark that may never be surpassed. He also was on base an insane .468 percent of the time. He must have been amazingly entertaining to watch play the game.
Nick: Great hitter. Key cog in the '93 run to the NL pennant. I'll leave it there.
Evan: Finally we have a slugger on our list. Williams was one of the most prolific power hitters of his day — the days before the emergence of Babe Ruth. Williams led the National League in home runs four times and the majors twice, hitting 41 of then in 1923. His power bat also led the league in OPS twice.
Evan: Thomas picked up the mantle for the aforementioned Hamilton as an excellent old-timey speedy centerfielder in Philly. He led the NL in walks seven times, six of them in a row, and is eighth all time in team history with 923 runs scored.
Nick: A consistent bat with some occasional pop, González was a regular among the Phillies through much of the 60s.
Evan: Glanville was a solid leadoff man for some forgettable teams at the turn of the millennium, bridging two eras of competitive baseball. In 1999 he his .325, good for 8th in baseball (but behind teammate Bobby Abreu who hit .335).
Nick: Rowand was stellar in his two years in Philly, but there's one signature moment that defines his entire run in red pinstripes. So here it is, complete with commentary on it after the fact when he joined the San Francisco Giants:
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