Which Is the Better Philadelphia Phillies Team, 2008 or 2011?

Charlie Manuel has done it again.

In the last decade, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has helped turn his team from a frequent disappointment into a perennial contender.

This year, Philadelphia looks to become heroes in what many hope to be a fairy tale season. With their eyes set on a championship, the team is shaping up to be quite the formidable opponent. 

How does this team stack up against the Phillies 2008 World Series team?

Find out how the two compare in a position-by-position battle.

Catcher

2008 Carlos Ruiz:

BA: .219

HR: 4

RBI: 31

2011 Carlos Ruiz:

BA: .279

HR: 5

RBI: 33

Advantage: 2011 Phillies

Carlos Ruiz has continued to be a solid defensive player behind the plate this season. In 2011, Ruiz really started to heat up and improved his batting average drastically since the 2008 run.

First Base

2008 Ryan Howard:

BA: .251

HR: 48

RBI: 146

2011 Ryan Howard:

BA: .252

HR: 31

RBI: 108

Advantage: 2008 Phillies

Ryan Howard put up one of his best statistical years in the 2008 season. This year, Howard continues to be solid but suffers from frequent slumps and striking out too often.

Second Base

2008 Chase Utley:

BA: .292

HR: 33

RBI: 104

2011 Chase Utley:

BA: .262

HR: 10

RBI: 41

Advantage: 2008 Phillies

Chase Utley hasn’t been around much this year. Lately he has been struggling to find his groove so he can start really contributing to the offense. There is no doubt that Utley’s 2008 monster season is much better than his 2011 effort thus far.

Shortstop

2008 Jimmy Rollins:

BA: .277

HR: 11

RBI: 59

2011 Jimmy Rollins:

BA: .268

HR: 14

RBI: 58

Advantage: 2011 Phillies

Even though J-Roll was the heart and soul of that 2008 World Series team, he is having a slightly better season this year and is just starting to find his swing. Expect Rollins to surpass his 2008 season by the time the postseason rolls around. 

Third Base

2008 Pedro Feliz

BA: .249

HR: 14

RBI: 58

2011 Placido Polanco:

BA: .278

HR: 4

RBI: 44

Advantage: 2011 Phillies

Placido Polanco has been a huge addition to this Phillies team. In the beginning of the year, Polanco was red hot when the rest of the team struggled to find consistency. Expect that play to continue into October. 

Left Field

2008 Pat Burrell

BA: .250

HR: 33

RBI: 86

2011 Raul Ibanez:

BA: .247

HR: 18

RBI: 71

Advantage: 2008 Phillies

Pat “The Bat” Burrell had a love-hate relationship with fans of the Philadelphia Phillies. I’m sure there isn’t a Philadelphia fan anywhere that wouldn’t love to have Burrell’s 33 HRs this year. Raul Ibanez has yet to really catch fire and produce like he has in the last few years.

Center Field

2008 Shane Victorino:

BA: .293

HR: 14

RBI: 58

2011 Shane Victorino:

BA: .299

HR: 15

RBI: 56

Advantage: 2011 Phillies 

Shane Victorino put up All-Star numbers this year and continues to be one of the driving forces, both offensively and with stellar defense, for this Phillies squad. His numbers show that this is his best season yet.

Right Field

2008 Jayson Werth:

BA: .273

HR: 24

RBI: 67

2011 Hunter Pence:

BA: .309

HR: 18

RBI: 85

Advantage: 2011 Phillies

When acquired from the Houston Astros, Hunter Pence slid seamlessly into the lineup and began to produce immediately. Pence balances the lineup by hitting right-handed and has added an extra spark to the Phillies offense. 

Pitching

Top 3 Starters

2008 Cole Hamels:

ERA: 3.09

W-L: 14-10

2008 Jamie Moyer:

ERA: 3.71

W-L: 16-7

2008 Brett Myers:

ERA: 4.55

W-L: 10-13

2011 Roy Halladay:

ERA: 2.49

W-L: 16-5

2011 Cliff Lee:

ERA: 2.47

W-L: 16-7

2011 Cole Hamels:

ERA: 2.60

W-L: 14-7

Top Closer 

2008 Brad Lidge

ERA: 1.95

SV: 41

2011 Ryan Madson

ERA: 2.79

SV: 28 

Advantage: 2011 Phillies

There really isn’t any question, or doubt, here. Everyone knows by now how phenomenal this pitching staff has been all year. Although they have lost some power at the closer spot with Brad Lidge’s fall from superstardom, the Phillies still have one of the best starting rotations in the history of the game. You can expect this rotation to take the Phillies deep into the postseason.

Who Wins?

If the two were to play, the matchup would be a fantastic game. These two teams rank highly among the greatest in the last decade and have the stats to prove it. The 2008 Phillies offense was high-powered and very productive. This year the Phillies don’t have an elite offense, but when they click they can be every bit as stellar as they were in 2008. In the end, it comes down to pitching. You could put in any three of the 2011 starters listed and they would likely keep the 2008 offense at bay. 

The advantage goes to the 2011 Phillies. Shouldn’t that mean this team will win the World Series? 

Well, no. 

But hopefully this thought crystallizes. If the team continues to play the way they have the whole season, they shouldn’t have a problem making a good run in the playoffs.