JAWS and the 2025 Corridor of Fame Poll: Chase Utley

The next article is a part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing take a look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2025 Corridor of Fame poll. For an in depth introduction to this yr’s poll, and different candidates within the collection, use the instrument above; an introduction to JAWS could be discovered right here. For a tentative schedule and an opportunity to fill out a Corridor of Fame poll for our crowdsourcing mission, see right here. All WAR figures seek advice from the Baseball-Reference model until in any other case indicated.

When the Phillies returned to competition following a slide into irrelevance within the wake of their 1993 Nationwide League pennant, shortstop Jimmy Rollins, first baseman Ryan Howard, and lefty Cole Hamels gained a lot of the consideration. Howard all however ran Jim Thome out of city after the latter was injured in 2005, then mashed a significant league-high 58 homers in ’06 en path to NL MVP honors. Rollins, the emotional heart of the workforce, carried himself with a swagger and declared the Phillies “the workforce to beat” on the outset of 2007, then gained the MVP award when the workforce adopted by means of with a division title. Hamels debuted in 2006 and have become their ace whereas making his first All-Star workforce the subsequent season. In the midst of all that, as a part of the nucleus that will assist the Phillies win 5 straight NL East titles from 2007–11, with a championship in ’08 and one other pennant in ’09, Chase Utley was pretty much as good or higher than any of them, although the second baseman hardly referred to as consideration to himself.

Certainly, Utley appeared to shun the highlight, enjoying the sport with a quiet depth that bordered on asceticism. He sped across the bases after hitting house runs, then reluctantly accepted high-fives within the dugout. “I am having enjoyable,” he advised the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Andy Martino in 2009. “Once I’m on the baseball area, that’s the place I like to be. I’m not joking round and smiling. That competitors, that heat-of-the-battle depth, that’s how I’ve enjoyable.”

As a hitter, Utley had a compact and highly effective stroke that impressed everybody from essentially the most grizzled of baseball males to budding superstars. From the Philadelphia Day by day Information’ Paul Hagen in 2008:

“At occasions he can put near what you’d name an ideal swing on the ball,” Phillies supervisor/hitting guru Charlie Manuel mentioned. “It’s good stability, rhythm, load, and on the similar time getting a ball that you just’d wish to hit. And simply, very slight, beneath the middle of the ball.

“He’s a really fashionable hitter. He’s man to speak about as a result of, for those who watch him day in and day trip and take a look at him from a mechanics standpoint, he could be an amazing man to make use of as an indication for younger children.”

Forty miles away from Philadelphia, in Millville, New Jersey, a younger Mike Trout patterned his swing after Utley, his favourite participant. However hitting was solely one in every of Utley’s abilities. Due to his off-the-charts baseball instincts — delicate issues like his secondary leads whereas working the bases and his knack for positioning within the area, which John Dewan identified in a 2009 Hardball Occasions piece — in addition to his foot velocity and vary, he was an distinctive baserunner and defender. His all-around abilities confirmed up in WAR; he outproduced Howard and Rollins of their MVP-winning years, and nearly all people else throughout his heyday. His 59.7 WAR from 2005–14 trailed solely Albert Pujols’ 67.7.

Utley’s enchantment was hardly restricted to statheads. “I feel scouts used him greater than anybody else I can recall for instance of a participant who maximized ability with grit, vitality, team-oriented nature, competitiveness,” wrote the New York Publish’s Joel Sherman in 2018. “Scouts beloved them some Chase Utley.”

For all of that acclaim, Utley was underappreciated in his day. As a result of he didn’t debut till age 24 after starring at UCLA, and didn’t play 100 video games in a season till age 26, he didn’t attain many main milestones, and never solely did he by no means win MVP, he by no means gained a Gold Glove regardless of off-the-charts defensive metrics. “I by no means performed this sport for awards, to be sincere with you,” he advised the New York Occasions’ Tyler Kepner in 2018. “I really feel like for those who try this, you’re not likely doing what’s most essential, and that’s to attempt to assist your workforce win.”

Will Utley’s lack of recognition throughout his profession carry over into Corridor of Fame voting? Provided that the writers haven’t elected anyone from the post-1960 growth period with fewer than 2,000 hits, it appears fairly doable. That mentioned, the 28.8% he obtained in his first yr of eligibility compares favorably to a number of current slow-starting candidates who’ve been elected. So whereas getting him into Cooperstown could possibly be an actual battle, I don’t suppose it’s an inconceivable one.

Chase Cameron Utley was born on December 17, 1978 in Pasadena, California, the older of two youngsters of David (a private harm lawyer) and Terrell Utley. When he was a toddler, his household moved to Lengthy Seaside, the place he quickly started enjoying Wiffle Ball marathons on the entrance garden of neighbor Denny Mayfield.

“He was sort of a wuss to start out with,” recalled Mayfield in 2009. “Very timid and shy. However the shyness he had, the sport introduced him out of it. He would slide into the fence, throw his physique into the tree [the imaginary base] to be protected. I’d say, ‘You’re loopy.’”

Utley additionally performed Wiffle Ball together with his father and sister Taylor, youthful by seven years. To stop him from having to retrieve balls that younger Chase would hit into the road, David turned his son round to hit left-handed, so his hits would as a substitute rebound off the household’s home. Already working to hone his all-around sport, Chase would insist upon Taylor getting an opportunity to hit in order that he may work on his protection.

Among the many different gamers in Mayfield’s Wiffle Ball group was Sean Burroughs, a future main leaguer and the son of former American League MVP Jeff Burroughs. As a coach for Utley’s Little League workforce, the elder Burroughs helped Utley refine his hitting mechanics. Whereas starring at Lengthy Seaside Polytechnic Excessive Faculty alongside future main leaguer Milton Bradley, Utley mimicked Thome, his future Phillies teammate and one in every of his favourite gamers, by shifting his proper foot to open his stance. He hit .525 with 12 homers as a senior, making a number of All-American groups.

Utley grew up a Dodgers fan, with Brett Butler, Kirk Gibson, and Steve Sax amongst his favourite gamers. The Dodgers drafted him within the second spherical in 1996, however collegiate life intrigued him; after visiting UCLA and discussing his scenario with senior Troy Glaus, one other future main leaguer, he selected to simply accept a scholarship. He starred on the college, setting a freshman house run file with 15 and incomes All Pac-10 and All-American honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. Getting into the 2000 draft, he was thought-about the perfect pure hitter among the many collegiate prospects; the Phillies selected him with the fifteenth decide, signing him to a $1.78 million bonus.

Utley started his skilled profession with the Batavia Muckdogs of the Low-A New York-Penn League, hitting .307/.383/.444 with two homers in 40 video games. Baseball America named him the Phillies’ fifth-best prospect, however he slipped to seventh after a difficult yr within the Florida State League, with BA expressing delicate issues about his protection: “He won’t ever be a Gold Glover, however the Phillies are thrilled with the progress he made together with his vary and double-play pivot. He has sufficient arm to play second base however lacks pure actions across the bag.”

The Phillies tried Utley at third base whereas leaping him from Excessive-A Clearwater to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2002; later that season, the workforce dealt Scott Rolen to the Cardinals in a commerce whose return included second baseman Placido Polanco; in the meantime, free agent David Bell’s four-year, $17 million contract blocked Utley on the scorching nook.

Returning to second base, the 24-year-old Utley cracked the BA Prime 100 Prospects listing at no. 81 in 2003, and made the large membership out of spring coaching. He debuted on April 4, hanging out in opposition to the Pirates’ Jeff Suppan in his lone plate look. “I struck out and bought booed again to the dugout, which made it a correct begin to my Phillies profession,” recalled Utley in 2016. Two days later, he was demoted, however upon returning, he linked for his first hit, a grand slam off the Rockies’ Aaron Prepare dinner on April 20, and tore across the bases. As referred to as by the legendary Harry Kalas:

Afterwards, broadcaster John Kruk performed a legendary prank on the rookie, with an help from supervisor Larry Bowa:

Regardless of the slam and the nice enjoyable, Utley was despatched again to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre later that week, didn’t return till August 14, and hit simply .239/.322/.373 (87 wRC+) with two homers in 43 video games. Again within the minors to start out 2004, he was recalled when Polanco was sidelined by a quad pressure in Could, and stayed up the remainder of the season, getting 11 begins at first base and 41 at second whereas generally bumping Polanco — who was within the midst of a effective 4.6 WAR season — to 3rd. Utley hit .266/.308/.468 with 13 homers in 287 plate appearances unfold over 94 video games; his 10 DRS (7 at second base, 3 at first base) started a streak of seven straight years in double digits.

The Phillies deliberate to show second base over to Utley for the 2005 season after Polanco hit free company, however the latter shocked them by accepting arbitration — typically a formality that entitled groups to draft decide compensation — and returning to Philadelphia. Beneath new supervisor Charlie Manuel, the pair kind of shared the second base job till June 8, when the Phillies traded Polanco to the Tigers. Utley broke out to hit .291/.376/.540 (132 OPS+) with 28 homers, 16 steals, 23 DRS, and seven.3 WAR, the league’s third-highest complete behind solely Pujols and Derrek Lee.

Utley confirmed that breakout was no fluke. Whereas making the primary of 5 straight All-Star groups, he hit .309/.379/.527 (125 OPS+) with 32 homers, 15 steals, 18 DRS, and seven.3 WAR (once more third within the league) in 2006. From June 3 to August 3, he peeled off a 35-game hitting streak, matching Luis Castillo for the second-longest of the Wild Card period — solely Rollins’ 38-gamer from 2005 was longer — and tied for eleventh all time. On August 9, he produced one of many signature performs of his profession. After clearing the bases with a three-run double off the Braves’ Macay McBride, he broke for third in an try to steal; when Howard chopped to McBride on the primary base facet of the mound, Utley rushed house. “Chase goes to maintain going and he’s protected at house plate! Chase Utley, you’re the man!” exclaimed Kalas, thereby christening him with a permanent nickname:

“That second started Utley’s ascent from mere celebrity to civic icon,” wrote Kepner.

Utley completed seventh within the NL MVP voting as Howard, who led the majors with 58 homers and 149 RBI whereas tallying a career-high 5.2 WAR (which didn’t even crack the league’s prime 10) gained. Two months later, and a day after his wedding ceremony, Utley signed the largest contract of his profession, a seven-year, $85 million extension that purchased out all three years of his arbitration eligibility and the primary 4 years of his potential free company.

The 2006 season had been the Phillies’ third in a row ending second within the NL East with between 85 and 88 wins, and their thirteenth straight with no playoff look. Spurred by the play of Utley, Rollins, Howard, Hamels, Pat Burrell, and Jayson Werth, the workforce lastly broke by means of in 2007, profiting from a late collapse by the Mets to grab the division title on the ultimate day of the season with 89 wins. They had been seven video games again on September 12, however went 13-4 whereas the Mets went 5-12. Although Utley produced his finest season so far on the plate (.332/.410/.566, 146 OPS+) and totaled 7.8 WAR, he missed 4 weeks because of a fractured metacarpal, suffered on July 27 when he was hit by a fastball from the Nationals’ John Lannan, and wanted surgical procedure to insert a pin to stabilize his proper ring finger. He completed eighth within the NL MVP voting whereas Rollins, who hit .296/.344/.531 (119 OPS+) with 6.1 WAR, gained. Each gamers had been held to 2-for-11 showings whereas being swept by the Rockies within the Division Collection.

In 2008, Utley set a brand new profession excessive with 33 homers to go together with a 136 wRC+, 31 DRS (!) and 9.0 WAR, second solely to Pujols’ 9.2. The Phillies gained 92 video games and claimed their second division title. Utley hit a mixed .220/.391/.460 with three homers throughout the postseason, arising large a number of occasions. His two-run double off the Brewers’ Yovani Gallardo broke open a scoreless Division Collection opener; the Phillies gained in 4 video games. Later, his two-run sixth-inning homer off the Dodgers’ Derek Lowe tied the NLCS opener, and he added a first-inning RBI double off Lowe amongst his three hits in Sport 4; the Phillies gained in 5 to advance to their first World Collection in 15 years. Utley bought them off on the fitting foot in opposition to the Rays with a two-run first-inning homer off Scott Kazmir in Sport 1, and added a solo homer off Matt Garza in Sport 3.

Although he went hitless in Video games 4 and 5, Utley scored thrice after getting on base in a method or one other. Within the seventh inning of the latter sport — which had resumed after a 46-hour rain delay simply an inning earlier than — he made an unimaginable, career-defining play: “The Utley Play.” Ranging to his proper to backhand Akinori Iwamura’s grounder, he had the presence of thoughts to leap whereas faking a throw to first base, then threw a one-hopper to catcher Carlos Ruiz to nail Jason Bartlett making an attempt to attain the go-ahead run:

In 2018, on the event of the tenth anniversary of the play, Utley described what was going by means of his thoughts to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark:

“In order I catch it… I’m pondering to myself that I don’t suppose it’s the smart move to go to first. One, it’s chilly. Two, it’s an extended throw, and I’m off stability. Three, if I don’t (throw), it doesn’t actually matter. The run’s not going to attain. So I figured I’d as effectively pump-fake and see what is going to occur.”

…“I knew I had loads of time to get the ball [home]… I knew I didn’t must make the proper throw. I simply needed to get it to Chooch in a traditional period of time. So I sort of saved occurring the run, and threw a one-hop throw on goal.”

The Phillies scored a run within the backside of the seventh inning, then held on to clinch their first championship in 28 years. Utley punctuated the celebration by dropping an f-bomb on the victory parade, declaring the Phillies “World Fucking Champions!” and additional endearing himself to the Philadelphia devoted.

After one other exceptionally sturdy season in 2009 (31 homers, 136 OPS+, 23-for-23 in steals, and eight.2 WAR, once more second to Pujols), Utley went off within the postseason, hitting a mixed .296/.424/.648 with six homers in 71 PA in opposition to the Rockies, Dodgers, and Yankees. Towards the latter, he tied Reggie Jackson’s World Collection file with 5 homers, clubbing two solo photographs off CC Sabathia in a 6-1 Sport 1 win, one other solo homer (plus an RBI double) off Sabathia in a Sport 4 loss, after which a three-run homer off A.J. Burnett and a solo homer off Phil Coke in a Sport 5 win:

Utley joined the 1980 Royals’ Willie Aikens as the one gamers with a number of multi-homer video games in a single World Collection, however he couldn’t do every thing himself. The Phillies misplaced in six video games, leaving Utley as the one participant to hit 5 homers in a World Collection defeat.

From 2005–09, Utley hit a mixed .301/.388/.535 (135 OPS+) whereas averaging 29 homers, 15 steals, 20 DRS, and seven.9 WAR, an outstanding stretch. His 39.7 WAR for these 5 years trailed solely Pujols (44.6) and was over 5 wins forward of third-ranked Alex Rodriguez (34.2) and over 10 wins forward of fourth-ranked Mark Teixeira (29.3). He averaged 151 video games in that stretch, touchdown on what was then the disabled listing simply as soon as in that span (2007), however as he entered his 30s, he had a tougher time staying wholesome. He missed seven weeks in 2010 because of a torn ligament in his proper thumb however nonetheless completed with 5.8 WAR in 115 video games, ok for eighth within the league. The Phillies gained their fourth straight division title, and Utley drove in a team-high 4 runs as they swept the Reds within the Division Collection earlier than falling to the Giants within the NLCS.

Patellar tendinitis in his proper knee delayed Utley’s 2011 debut till Could 23; between that and a concussion he suffered in September, he performed in simply 103 video games, managing a 110 OPS+ and three.8 WAR. He helped the Phillies to their fifth straight division title and hit .438/.571/.688 in a dropping trigger within the Division Collection in opposition to the Cardinals. The following yr, patellar chondromalacia in his left knee delayed his season debut till June 27. He homered off the Pirates’ James McDonald in his first plate look, and in simply over half a season (83 video games) nonetheless totaled 9 DRS and three.1 WAR, although the Phillies slipped to 81-81, lacking the playoffs for the primary time since 2006.

Regardless of being sidelined a month because of an indirect pressure in 2013, the 34-year-old Utley performed 131 video games and hit .284/.348/.475 with 18 homers. Aside from the OBP, these had been his finest numbers since 2009, although his -5 DRS — his first unfavourable complete — restricted him to three.6 WAR. The Phillies went simply 73-89; shortly after Utley agreed to a two-year, $27 million extension in August, Manuel was fired and changed by Ryne Sandberg. The workforce once more went 73-89 in 2014; Utley parlayed a robust first half into his sixth and ultimate All-Star look, however slumped within the second half to complete at .270/.339/.407 (108 OPS+) with 3.6 WAR.

After a dreadful first half of the 2015 season, adopted by a month and a half on the DL because of proper ankle irritation, Utley bought scorching simply lengthy sufficient upon returning in early August to drum up curiosity in his providers. He agreed to waive his no-trade clause, and in a waiver-period deal on August 19, was despatched to the Dodgers for 2 gamers, together with money to cowl most of his remaining wage. “It’s time,” he mentioned of leaving Philadelphia. “We put our heads collectively and determined it may be finest for us to half methods. I gave them an inventory of a handful of groups that I’d contemplate enjoying for, after which it was [general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.]’s job to search out the perfect deal he may for the group. And finally it got here right down to the Dodgers, a workforce I grew up watching.”

The transfer helped cowl for Howie Kendrick’s harm, and reunited Utley with Rollins, who had been traded to the Dodgers the earlier December. Although he didn’t make a significant contribution on the sphere, Utley started mentoring rookie Corey Seager, who joined the workforce in September and by the tip of the month had displaced Rollins within the lineup.

After profitable the NL West for the third straight season, the Dodgers confronted the Mets within the Division Collection. Within the seventh inning of Sport 2, Utley singled, then slid onerous and late to the fitting of second base on an infield grounder in an try to interrupt up a double play. In doing so, he collided violently with Rubén Tejada, upending the shortstop as he spun in an effort to make an acrobatic throw. Utley was initially referred to as out, however replay confirmed that Tejada by no means touched the bottom, although neither did Utley. Utley was dominated protected, and the Dodgers scored 4 runs amid a decisive rally; in the meantime, a fractured proper fibula ended Tejada’s season:

Mets followers and even many gamers across the sport referred to as Utley’s slide a unclean play, however others declared such contact a part of the sport. The slide was just like the kind of takeout slides beforehand accepted and even glorified as old-school examples of hard-nosed baseball.

Main League Baseball suspended Utley for 2 video games for what chief baseball officer Joe Torre referred to as an unlawful slide. Utley appealed, although he didn’t play in both sport; the Dodgers misplaced the collection in 5 video games. Utley’s suspension was lifted within the spring after Torre discovered no prior self-discipline for related slides, however within the aftermath of the play, MLB instituted Rule 6.01(j), a.ok.a “The Utley Rule,” mandating {that a} slide to interrupt up a double play has to incorporate a bona fide try to succeed in and stay on the bottom. Whereas contact with the fielder is allowed, the runner isn’t allowed to alter his path to provoke contact or have interaction in a “roll block.” A runner violating the rule is out for interference, and so is the batter. On account of the rule, MLB moreover made the so-called “neighborhood play,” wherein fielders had been beforehand allowed to be close to the bag however out of the runner’s path, reviewable by replay.

Amid the controversy, the 37-year-old Utley re-signed with the Dodgers through a one-year, $7 million deal, the primary of three successive pacts he would ink together with his hometown workforce. He performed recurrently in 2016 however hit for only a 92 OPS+ with 1.2 WAR, weighed down by a career-worst -9 DRS. The Dodgers scaled again his enjoying time in 2017, and he turned in the same efficiency for a workforce that gained its first pennant in 29 years however fell to the Astros within the World Collection.

Famend for his skill to acknowledge a pitcher tipping his pitches, Utley was seemingly unable to identify the telltale indicators from Yu Darvish, who was chased early in each Video games 3 and seven. Two years later, in fact, the baseball world realized that the Astros had been illegally stealing indicators and relaying them to hitters utilizing their trash-can system. Utley, who’d heard rumors of what the Astros had been as much as, watched hours of video to attempt to determine it out. He suggested his teammates to alter their signal sequences, however with out audio couldn’t crack the banging side of the code.

“You’re trying within the dugout, you’re first base coaches, you’re trying within the outfield, you’re trying within the bullpen,” Utley advised podcaster Ben Reiter. “You’re in search of something that may be a clue to what they’re doing. And… on the time, I wasn’t in a position to provide you with anyone specific factor that I believed was fishy throughout the World Collection.”

Utley re-signed with the Dodgers through a two-year, $2 million deal in February 2018. He began simply 35 video games from amongst his 87 appearances, however solely carried out effectively as a pinch-hitter (.342/.419/.474 in 43 PA). On July 14, he introduced he would retire on the finish of the season. He started his press convention by deadpanning that he’d signed a five-year contract extension, then cited his readiness to be a full-time father as his cause for strolling away.

…

On the subject of the Corridor of Fame, Utley would look like dealing with an uphill battle primarily based upon the size of his profession, from his delayed arrival as a daily to his accidents and retirement at age 39. As a result of he was drafted out of school, he was 24 when he debuted. Amongst post-integration place gamers, solely Wade Boggs, Edgar Martinez, and Kirby Puckett debuted of their age-24 seasons and nonetheless wound up in Cooperstown. Moreover, Utley’s 7,863 plate appearances outdoes simply three expansion-era Corridor of Famers, particularly Mike Piazza (7,745), Puckett (7,831), and Tony Oliva (6,880), all of whom completed with batting averages above .300.

As I wrote on the time of his retirement announcement, the constraints on Utley’s profession left him wanting 2,000 hits, placing his Corridor of Fame destiny in danger. I had famous earlier within the season in connection to Joe Mauer that on the time neither the BBWAA nor any small committee had elected a single place participant with fewer than 2,000 hits whose profession crossed into the growth period. Among the finest gamers outdoors the Corridor on the time — Dick Allen, Bobby Grich, Andruw Jones, and Minnie Miñoso, all of whom I profiled at size in my 2017 e-book, The Cooperstown Casebook — had been on the improper facet of that line. Since then, the elections of Miñoso (whose now-included Negro Leagues statistics push his complete to 2,113), Oliva, and Gil Hodges through the 2022 Golden Days Period Committee have produced exceptions, however BBWAA voters have but to interrupt the streak.

The two,000-hit cutoff persists primarily as a proxy for profession size, with the extra notable gamers such because the aforementioned ones more likely to have derived a better portion of their worth by excelling in areas apart from batting common, whether or not it’s excessive on-base percentages, good baserunning, good protection, and so forth, notably at positions of defensive significance. Listed below are the highest gamers by WAR amongst these wanting 2,000 hits:

Over half of that prime 20 matches into one in every of three teams: pre-expansion Corridor of Famers (Baker, Boudreau, Dickey, Doby, and Robinson), lively gamers and sure future Corridor of Famers (Arenado, Betts, Machado, and Trout, with Longoria on this group however the least more likely to be enshrined), and would-be Corridor of Famers if not for his or her transgressions (Jackson and McGwire). All had comparatively brief careers for one cause or one other. The lively ones are ongoing, Jackson was banned for all times, McGwire had quite a few accidents, and the Corridor of Famers had been restricted by catching (Dickey), segregation (Doby and Robinson), or uncommon circumstances (Baker missed one prime season because of a wage dispute with Connie Mack and one other because of the aftermath of his spouse’s dying, whereas Boudreau retired at 34 to handle full-time).

All of these guys and the eight others had been or are elite in at the least one space of batting (as measured by OPS+), fielding, or baserunning, and most performed positions of defensive significance. The outsiders represent a who’s who of unsung stathead favorites, and as famous, a couple of are within the Casebook. Allen has missed election by a single vote twice as an Period Committee candidate. Grich is the one non-PED-linked participant who’s above the profession WAR, peak WAR, and JAWS requirements at his place however outdoors the Corridor regardless of being eligible. Jones, who obtained 61.6% in his seventh yr on the poll in 2024, is trending in the direction of eventual election and will break the BBWAA seal on the sub-2,000 distinction.

Utley not solely matches neatly into this subgroup, he’s fourth in worth thanks largely to his baserunning — which additionally consists of an extra 24 runs for his skill to keep away from grounding into double performs, not included within the desk above — and protection. With reference to baserunning, whereas Utley solely stole greater than 16 bases as soon as (his 23-for-23 displaying in 2009) and totaled simply 154 steals, he was caught simply 22 occasions. Amongst gamers with at the least 150 tried steals since 1920 (the purpose from which we’ve steady availability of caught stealing totals), his 87.5% success fee ranks first, forward of the extra prolific Carlos Beltrán (86.4% in 361 makes an attempt) and Trea Turner (85.8% in 325 makes an attempt), in addition to Werth (85.2% in 155 makes an attempt). Like Werth, Utley benefited from the tutelage of Davey Lopes, whose 83% success fee is third behind solely Tim Raines (84.7%) and Willie Wilson (83.3%) amongst these with at the least 500 makes an attempt; an skilled at studying pitchers, Lopes served because the Phillies’ first base coach from 2007-10, a span throughout which the workforce stole at an 84.3% clip, six factors forward of the pack.

Moreover, from 2006–12, Utley was yearly among the many NL’s finest in additional bases taken (XT%) — a couple of base on a single, greater than two on a double — both rating among the many prime 10 or with a top-10-worthy share however with out sufficient enjoying time to qualify because of his accidents. His composite 64% success fee for these seasons, 23-25 factors above the league averages in these years, can be integrated inside these baserunning runs, as are the outs he made on base. Amongst Wild Card period gamers, his 69 runs for baserunning and double play avoidance ranks seventh, 4 runs forward of Beltrán; all people else within the prime 10 has over 300 stolen base makes an attempt to pad their totals.

As for the fielding, Baseball America appropriately predicted Utley would by no means win a Gold Glove, however that’s as a result of he was robbed. Sure, single-year measures of single metrics aren’t all that dependable, however there’s power in pattern measurement. Amongst all second basemen, Utley’s 131 fielding runs ranks seventh all-time:

Of the 4 different gamers on this listing whose careers crossed into the Gold Glove period (1957 onward), each Mazeroski and White gained eight Gold Gloves, whereas Polanco gained three; Ellis, a defensive cog on the Moneyball-era A’s, had seven seasons of double-digit DRS totals and will have gained {hardware} alongside the best way.

Utley is one in every of 21 gamers to build up at the least 100 DRS in his profession at any place(s). He’s eleventh in each DRS and UZR at 90.1 runs, 2.6 forward of Dustin Pedroia for the lead amongst second basemen. Multi-time Gold Glove winners abound in each units of rankings, however Utley is the best rating amongst those that by no means gained as soon as. From 2005–11 — his peak years as a defender, all predating the introduction of the SABR Defensive Index into the voting — Brandon Phillips and Orlando Hudson gained six of the seven Gold Gloves amongst NL second basemen, with Castillo the opposite one. By way of each DRS and UZR, Utley typically outperformed them of their profitable years:

Maybe if he’d come alongside a bit later, when fielding metrics grew to become extra broadly accepted, Utley would have fared higher in Gold Glove and MVP voting; the place he ranked among the many NL’s prime three in WAR yearly from 2005–09 and was eighth in ’10, he by no means positioned larger than seventh within the voting. That limits him to a rating of 94 (wanting “ chance”) on the Invoice James Corridor of Fame Monitor, which dishes out credit score for issues which have tended to sway voters: seasons with eye-catching plateaus akin to 30 homers, 100 RBI, and 100 runs, careers at .300 or higher, awards, league leads in key stats, and playoff appearances.

Utley’s distinctive baserunning and protection wouldn’t put him inside hailing distance of Cooperstown with out his bat. Per Baseball Reference’s batting runs measure, he was 173 runs above common on the plate, which ranks twentieth amongst all second basemen and surpasses 9 of 20 Corridor of Famers, seven of whom had over 8,000 PA. His 117 OPS+ is larger than 11 of the 20 enshrinees.

Add all of it up and Utley’s 64.5 profession WAR ranks fifteenth amongst second basemen, a bit greater than 5 factors under the usual however forward of 10 of the 20 Corridor of Famers. Of those under him, solely Robinson was elected by the writers, whereas the remainder had been small-committee selections, not all of them good. 4 different second basemen outdoors the Corridor had larger WAR totals, particularly Lou Whitaker (75.1), Grich (71.1), Robinson Canó (68.1), and Willie Randolph (65.9). Whitaker is one other Casebook topic whom I’ve championed, whereas Randolph, whose worth owes much less to his bat (104 OPS+) than his baserunning or protection, went one-and-done on the 1998 BBWAA poll, as Grich did in ’92 and Whitaker in 2001. Canó, who final performed in 2022, isn’t eligible but and gained’t be elected anytime quickly because of a number of PED suspensions.

Utley fares even higher by seven-year peak, rating ninth at 49.3, practically 5 full wins above the usual. He trails seven Corridor of Famers and Canó (by 0.1); among the many 13 Corridor of Famers, he leads are BBWAA honorees Sandberg, Frisch, Roberto Alomar, and Craig Biggio. In the meantime, his 56.9 JAWS ranks twelfth, 0.2 under the usual. Of the 11 second basemen above him, solely Grich and Canó (each at 58.7) are outdoors the Corridor; the 9 under him embody two BBWAA honorees, Alomar (55.0) and Biggio (53.6). Neither was elected on the primary strive; Alomar’s entry was forestalled by a yr because of his spitting incident, whereas Biggio, a member of the three,000 hit membership, was delayed by two years amid an unprecedented poll crunch when he grew to become eligible in 2013.

Given his comparatively brief profession and lack of milestones, it’s comprehensible that Utley isn’t seen as an computerized selection. However his standing by JAWS, his outstanding position within the Phillies’ success, and the excessive regard wherein he’s held throughout the sport for his excessive baseball IQ — some features of which do present up in WAR — have made him a straightforward decide to those eyes. Certainly, as that aforementioned retirement announcement piece suggests, I used to be champing on the bit to incorporate him on my poll, and I wasn’t alone. Whereas his 28.8% first-year share is a methods from 75%, it’s forward of the place Raines (24.3% in 2008), Larry Walker (20.3% in 2011), Rolen (10.2% in 2018), or Todd Helton (16.5% in 2019) debuted, and all have since been elected, with the final two needing solely six years as a substitute of 10.

As his lack of {hardware} attests, Utley was considerably overshadowed by teammates and contemporaries in his day, however at this level, we’ve the instruments as an instance how underrated he was in his profession. It’s time to reward him with the popularity he deserves.