The Phillies Super Value Menu

Other blogs have discussed the value of Utley relative to his recently signed contract. This got me thinking, how valuable are our players relative to the Phillies. I have compiled my top 5 most valuable Phillies (not including prospects). Taken into account, I considered their value for the present (2007 season), their position played and their future value (next 3-4 years). Age is also taken into account.

1) Chase Utley
To me, Utley is the best Phillie currently on the team and will be for the years to come. Howard is VERY close but I have to give Chase the slight edge. Utley's position is my main reasoning. A power hitting second baseman is a lot harder to find than a power hitting first baseman. He is a tremendous baserunner, plays solid defense, hits for average, and has solid numbers with RISP. I don't see him tailing off anytime soon and he leads purely by example. If it is late in a close game, there is no one I would rather have up to the plate than Chase.

2) Ryan Howard
He was almost number 1 and it was hard to pick against him. It was like picking a favorite son if you are a parent or picking a favorite Jack Bauer moment if you are a 24 fan. Howard is our main run producer and that is how you win games. He is young and will be a Phillie hopefully his entire career. He is just entering his prime and seems like we can count on him for over 40 homeruns a year. I guess all I really have to say is most VALUABLE player. He did just win that after all.

3) Cole Hamels
If Utley and Howard aren't the future of this franchise in your eyes, Hamels has to be it then. At 23, he is still 5 years away from what analysts consider his 'prime' and he may very well be our ace by June. He has a changeup that should be illegal and if he stays healthy the rest of his career, will probably lead the league in Ks at least once. The Majors are starved for pitching now which raises his value even more. He could develop into one of the top pitchers in the National League which is something the Phillies haven't had since Schilling. Pitching wins championships and Hamels seems to be our best shot.

4) Jimmy Rollins
The classic statement "When Jimmy goes, the offense goes" couldn't be truer. When Rollins goes into his week-long slumps where he goes 7-38, you can obviously see that the Phillies rely on pitching to win those games. Rollins causes disturbance when he is on base, finds ways to always be in scoring position and knocks in his fair share with his newly found power. I will be alone on this next statement but I consider him a top notch leadoff hitter. He scores runs in bunches and is truly the catalyst of the team. His slumps are frustrating and can equate to losing streaks but he is a necessity for the Phillies to score. Also, I consider him the best leader on the Phillies which is extremely valuable in my eyes.

5) Brett Myers
This spot was a tough decision for me. I had it narrowed down to Myers, Victorino and Garcia. Victorino will possibly end up being our center fielder (an extremely important position) for the next couple of years. Garcia, if signed beyond 2007, can be a dominant force on our staff. Myers, however, can be brilliant if he gets his head together and is also 5 years younger than Garcia. And like I said earlier, pitching is at a premium. The better a player makes our team's staff, the more valuable he is. Myers indeed will battle Hamels for the title of 'ace' for years to come.

All five players listed are Phillies homegrown talent, so we should give credit to our farm system. It isn't spectacular but has produced very valuable players for us in the recent years. All five players can be counted on to be with Philadelphia for the next half-decade and are still hitting their primes. These five are our best shot at a championship. This was a tough list to narrow down and many players can be flip-flopped. Feel free to call me wrong.