The Hall of Fame should include Chase Utley. There ought to be no doubt about that. It will be challenging for the six-time All-Star to win because he is running for office for the first time. Voters who only consider data may decide not to cast a ballot for Utley. Utley was not defined by statistics. The topic wasn’t analytics. It was all about coming out on top. It had to do with leadership. It has to do with personality.
Utley was a productive player at second base both offensively and defensively during his 16-year career, which he spent primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies and later with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As per the data compiled by MLB.com, Utley was selected for five All-Star games and had a batting average of.298 across 869 games from 2005 to 2010. He also had 162 home runs, 216 doubles, 572 RBI, 90 steals, a.911 OPS, and a 133 OPS+. The Phillies made it to the postseason in 2007, won the World Series in 2008, lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in 2009, and advanced to the National League Championship Series in 2010.
In 15 World Series games, Utley hit seven home runs; five of them came against the Yankees in 2009. We could ramble on and on about Utley’s statistical achievements. However, it was never limited to that. Utley was an all-around professional baseball player, to put it simply. There are no justifications for injuries. There are no justifications for achieving unusual slumps. Every day, Utley arrived prepared to compete. He concluded his career as Philadelphia’s greatest second baseman ever. He is without a doubt a Hall of Famer. That ought to be on the first ballot.
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