The crop of MLB players from the Philadelphia area has grown during the 21st century. Powerhouse local high school and AAU programs, especially in South Jersey and the Philadelphia Catholic League, send players to the highest levels with seeming regularity.
Older players include Negro Leagues star Roy Campanella and Phillies record holder Del Ennis. “Mr. October” even hailed from the Philadelphia area. His prime came long before baseball’s most prominent Eagles fan Mike Trout stole the attention as the best local baseball player.
MLB Players from the Philadelphia Area
Go back further in baseball history to enjoy classic names like Sparrow Morton, Buster Hoover, Oyster Burns, Horace Helmbold, Lefty Hoerst, Heinie Kappel, and Patsy O’Rourke. Everyone enjoys a great old school baseball name.
Honorable mentions to the all-time local roster include local broadcasters Ben Davis and the late, great John Marzano.
The official MLB website and the legendary TedSilary.com helped provide the archives to choose the starting lineup. It includes a roster of the starting nine (including a designated hitter), a five-man starting rotation, a closer, and a memorable Little League middle-relief pitcher for good measure.
The city of Philadelphia has an unthinkable pick between two of the best managers in baseball history. How do you choose between Tommy Lasorda and Joe McCarthy?
97.5 The Fanatic has put together a comprehensive list of rosters of the best local players in major professional sports.
- The All-Time Roster Of NBA Players From Philadelphia
- The All-Time Roster Of NFL Players From the Philadelphia Area
1. Joey Wendle (SS)
Wendle grew up in Chester County before attending West Chester University. He’s put together a solid major league career as a reliable infielder for four different teams. He finished fourth in voting for the AL Rookie of the Year and made an All-Star appearance in 2021. Wendle was born in Wilmington, DE.
2. Mike Trout (OF)
Phillies fans have been calling for Mike Trout to return “home” since he broke out as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2012. The pride of Millville, NJ has won three AL MVP Awards with the Los Angeles Angels, and his statistical prime was as good as any major leaguer in the history of the game. He won three MVP awards in six seasons from 2014-2019.
Catch Mike Trout as a celebrity fan at Eagles home games.
3. Reggie Jackson (OF)
Mr. October was one of the best playoff performers in MLB history. Jackson won five World Series and made 14 All-Star appearances in 21 major league seasons, most notably with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1993. Jackson was born in Abington, PA.
4. Paul Goldschmidt (1B)
Goldschmidt established himself as one of the hardest-hitting sluggers of the 2010s. The first baseman spent eight years with the Arizona Diamondbacks before moving to the St. Louis Cardinals in his 30s.
He won his first National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals after previously finishing sixth or higher in voting five times. He was born in Wilmington, DE.
5. Mike Piazza (DH)
Mike Piazza grew up in Phoenixville, PA. The Los Angeles Dodgers found an all-time steal in the 62nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft.
He built the basis of his Hall of Fame resume in seven seasons with the Dodgers and eight with the New York Mets. He was the best offensive catcher in the league during the 1990s and early 2000s.
8. Christian Walker (3B)
The pool of third basemen isn’t very deep, so a Gold Glover at first base would need to make the transition. Christian Walker grew up in Norristown and attended the former Kennedy-Kenrick before his MLB career began.
Phillies fans remember his contributions to the NLCS upset in 2023. Walker was a key piece of the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
9. Phil Gosselin (2B)
The utility infielder isn’t the most accomplished baseball player in this hypothetical lineup. However, he earned a spot with a respectable career as a journeyman who recognized his role and mastered it.
Phil Gosselin became a high school star at local powerhouse Malvern Prep. He dropped one of the best feel-good lines in Philly sports history after a bases-clearing double early in his first season with the Phillies in 2019.
“I’ve been up with the bases loaded a lot for the Phillies. It was just in my backyard as a kid, and it didn’t really count.” –Phil Gosselin
SP- Zac Gallen
Every soul in South Jersey seems to have a connection to Zac Gallen or his family members. The Arizona Diamondbacks ace has flirted with an NL Cy Young Award in the prime years of his career.
His role with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 sticks in the heads of Phillies fans. Gallen was the top starter for an Arizona team that stunned the Phillies in the NLCS.
SP- Jamie Moyer
The Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer in 2006 as a veteran deadline acquisition at age 43. He remarkably pitched in parts of five seasons into his late 40s and even pitched for the Colorado Rockies at age 49.
The Souderton, PA native and Saint Joseph’s University graduate became one of the feel-good stories of the 2008 World Series as the local kid who returned home to win the title. He famously dug up the mound at Citizens Bank Park after the Game 6 clincher.
SP- Mark Gubicza
Mark Gubicza spent the better part of the 1980s in the starting rotation for the Kansas City Royals. He won 132 games over a 14-year MLB career. He grew up in Philadelphia and attended Penn Charter.
Gubicza came to the Royals just after they faced the Phillies in the World Series in 1980.
Closer- Joe Kerrigan
Philadelphia will always celebrate a graduate of Father Judge and Temple University. Joe Kerrigan spent only four seasons in major league bullpens.
Kerrigan returned to Philadelphia for a stint as the Phillies pitching coach in 2003 and 2004. He managed Larry Bowa’s staff well during his short tenure.
Middle Relief- Mo’ne Davis
She didn’t make it to the major leagues. We’re aware. However, Mo’ne Davis surprisingly took the sports world by storm during the 2014 Little League World Series. The memorable novelty of a Little League team playing just off South Street deserved acknowledgment in a look back at local baseball history.
Manager- Joe McCarthy
McCarthy won seven World Series in 16 seasons from 1931-1946 as the skipper for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees must’ve thought highly of him if they ignored interest from Babe Ruth to become their manager. The decision certainly paid off.
He grew up playing baseball in Germantown.
