Sunday, December 07

Welcome to the latest edition of the Phillies Beat newsletter. This version was written by Paul Casella, who has been based in Philadelphia since 2019 and covers the team alongside Todd Zolecki.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot for the 2026 Hall of Fame election was released on Monday, with former Phillies great and current broadcaster Cole Hamels highlighting the list of a dozen newcomers.

He’s not the only Phillies player worth monitoring during this voting cycle, however. A few other former franchise greats are among the 15 holdovers on the 27-player ballot.

Let’s take a closer look at the four most notable former Phillies -- Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Bobby Abreu -- and their cases for Cooperstown:

Cole Hamels
Year on ballot: First

Hamels might not have what many consider to be typical Hall of Fame-worthy numbers, but his case will be an interesting one to monitor in the coming years.

Though he never finished higher than fifth in Cy Young Award voting and was only a four-time All-Star, Hamels was arguably one of the best pitchers in the Majors for the better part of a decade. His 1,844 strikeouts during his 10 seasons with the Phillies ranked third during that span, trailing only Félix Hernández and Justin Verlander. (Hernández received 20.6% of the vote in his 2025 debut on the ballot.)

One must consider Hamels’ postseason prowess. At just 24 years old in 2008, Hamels recorded a 1.80 ERA over five postseason starts and became the fifth player to be named the MVP of both the League Championship Series and the World Series in the same year. He led the Phillies to their first title since 1980.

Chase Utley
Year on ballot: Third
2025 voting results: 39.8% (+11 percentage points from ’24)

Utley saw a sizable jump from his first year on the ballot to his second, and he’ll hope to continue that trend. His Hall of Fame case is compelling, with MLB.com reporter Thomas Harrigan laying out the reasons the Phillies icon belongs in Cooperstown.

Though Utley’s peak period was shorter than the average Hall of Famer, it was good enough to garner some consideration. From 2005-10, Utley accounted for 45.5 bWAR -- behind only Albert Pujols (52.1) in that span among MLB position players.

Utley and Pujols were the only position players to top 40 bWAR across those six seasons:

Most bWAR among MLB position players (2005-10)
1. Albert Pujols: 52.1
2. Chase Utley: 45.5
3. Alex Rodriguez: 38.3
4. Mark Teixeira: 33.4
5. Joe Mauer: 31.8

Jimmy Rollins
Year on ballot: Fifth
2025 voting results: 18.0% (+3.2 from ’24)

Rollins' voting percentage last year was nearly double what it was when he debuted on the ballot in 2022 (9.4%), but he still has a long way to go to reach the 75% threshold.

Rollins, inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame this past season, is one of five shortstops in AL/NL history with at least 2,000 hits and 200 home runs, alongside Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter and Robin Yount, as well as six-time All-Star Miguel Tejada.

Rollins finished with 2,455 career hits, four Gold Glove Awards, three All-Star selections and one Silver Slugger. He won the 2007 NL MVP Award and earned MVP votes in five seasons. Rollins helped the Phillies win a World Series, two NL pennants and five consecutive NL East titles from 2007-11. 

Bobby Abreu
Year on ballot: Seventh
2025 voting results: 19.5% (+4.7 from ’24)

When he debuted on the ballot in 2020, Abreu earned just 5.5% of the overall vote -- barely eclipsing the 5% required to remain on the ballot the following year. That percentage has climbed steadily in the years since, though Abreu has only four remaining years of eligibility and would need significant leaps to get to 75%.

On the surface, Abreu might not seem to have much of a Hall of Fame case. He was just a two-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger. But before completely slamming the door on Abreu, consider that he reached base 3,979 times -- 49th all-time.

Of the 48 players ahead of Abreu in that category, all but seven are in the Hall of Fame. One of the seven -- Pujols -- appears to be a surefire first-ballot selection once he’s eligible. The remaining six are Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Rusty Staub and Gary Sheffield.

Aaron Nola has established a reputation over the past decade for being not only one of the most consistent pitchers on the field but one of the most charitable players off it.

The veteran right-hander was the Phillies’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award this year -- the second time he earned that distinction (also 2020). He was recognized by The Players Trust -- the charitable arm of Major League Baseball -- as its Most Valuable Philanthropist for 2025.

Nola added another deeply personal honor to his 2025 résumé on Saturday in Washington, D.C., where he was presented with the ALS Association’s 2025 Philanthropist of the Year Award.

“ALS has deeply touched my family, and this cause will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Nola said in an Instagram post. “I’m especially grateful to my wife and parents for being there with me and making the night even more meaningful. I’m thankful to the Phillies for their continued commitment to this fight and to everyone who donates, advocates and supports the mission to find a cure. Your generosity brings real hope to families affected by ALS.”

• The Phillies had four selections to the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards, tied with the Mariners for the most by any team. Jhoan Duran led the way as the club's lone First Team honoree.

• Here's a recap of how the Phillies fared during awards season, with numerous players garnering consideration in both MVP and Cy Young voting.

• Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the General Managers Meetings last week that he cleared the air with Bryce Harper after Dombrowski's comments earlier this offseason seemed to irk the two-time MVP.

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