Top Philadelphia Phillies Players of 2007

I can't say enough about Jimmy Rollins' performance in 2007. He could easily win the National League MVP Award. He told everyone prior to the season that the Phillies were the team to beat in the East and he was right. He certainly did his part. His numbers speak for themselves: ,296 average, 212 hits, 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs and 90 RBI's. Add to that a .985 fielding percentage with only 11 errors all season.

It would have been nearly impossible for Howard to equal his 2006 league MVP numbers and he did fall short, but by any standard he had a terrific season. With 47 home runs and 136 RBI's he was second in the league in both categories and would have won the RBI crown had Colorado not played an extra game. That's not bad considering he missed two weeks on the disabled list. His 199 strikeouts in 529 at bats set a league record and need to be improved upon less he become known as a Dave Kingman type hitter. Still, Howard is likely to finish in the top five for league MVP again in 2007 and that would be well deserved.

All Utley does is produce both in the field and at bat. He is easily the league's top second basemen and one of the league's best hitters finishing with a .332 average. Until the final two weeks of the season he was in contention for the batting title. His 20 home runs were down from 32 in 2006, but his batting average improved by 23 points and all signs show that he'll just keep getting better at the plate as his young career progresses.

Hamels came into his own in 2007 and was clearly the ace of the Phillies pitching staff. He was well on his way to a 20 win season and a possible Cy Young Award until he got hurt and missed over a month between August 16 and September 18. Had he remained healthy, it's likely the Phillies would have won the division by a larger margin. Hamels was never quite himself after returning to the active roster and that was evident by his poor performance in his sole playoff appearance.

By all accounts Roward had a career season in 2007 surpassing his career bests in several categories. His .309 average, 27 home runs and 89 RBI's were among the team's leaders. His 11 assists and only two errors showed that he is one of the top centerfielders in baseball. While Roward is a fan favorite and appears to fit in well with his teammates, it's likely that his Phillies career is over, especially if the rumor that he is seeking $84 million over six years as a free agent. The Phillies are unlikely to commit that much money to a player who has had one really good season in an otherwise merely solid career.

Burrell was the favorite target of Phillies fans at the All-Star break. He was having a terrible season. Then Ryan Howard got hurt and Burrell carried the team for most of July and August. Where for three months there were only boos, Burrell actually started getting cheered when he came to the plate. Many times he came through with that clutch hit that has so often eluded him during his career. With 30 home runs and 97 RBI's his final numbers reflect a solid season.

Until he was injured, right field was Sean Victorino's domain. The flyin' Hawaiian had quickly become a fan favorite. His were tough shoes to fill, but Jason Werth came back from his own stint on the disabled list to fill in better than anyone could have expected. Together they batted .287 with 20 home runs and 95 RBI's. That's solid production from right field.

Who could have guessed that when they needed it the most the Phillies would find a quality starting pitcher not on their top minor league roster in Ottawa but on their AA team in Reading. Kyle Kendrick's 4-7 record gave no indication that he was ready for the big leagues. All he did for the major league club was go 10-4 with a 3.87 ERA and averaged over six innings in each of his twenty starts. That's a very productive rookie season and one the Phillies desperately needed.

While his 14-12 record and 5.01 ERA in 2007 is not that impressive on first glance, Moyer was a steady, reliable force and the only starting pitcher not to go on the disabled list during the 2007 season. That fact alone made him a very valuable player on the 2007 Phillies.

Little attention was paid when Romero was obtained in mid-season, but he quickly became a rock in the shaky Phillies bullpen. In the months of August and September he gave up only four earned runs and had an ERA of 1.27. No one was better coming out of the 'pen. Unfortunately for the Phillies, Romero is a free agent and his return in 2008 is questionable.