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It’s been a hot topic lately about players in the Hall of Fame, and who could join them in the near future. When Mark McGwire admitted steroid use, his name was cleared by some to be Hall worthy. There are also plenty of times you catch yourself discussing certain names today as “future Hall of Famers.” The thought of certain players deserving of the call to the hall came up in the World Series. Watching Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada dethrone the Phillies for baseball’s top prize served as a reminder to some current players who are to become the Yankee greats from the 2000′s.

Those three names leads to the latest discussion, which Phillies players today, could be in discussion for the Hall of Fame? Several Hall of Famers have passed through Philadelphia in the past few years. Jim Thome, Pedro Martinez, and Billy Wagner are a few. They will make the Hall, but it’s more than that in this discussion. Those players were here for just a few seasons, not nearly long enough to be written in as a primary Phillie on their plaque. How about the draft picks Ed Wade made years ago, the players who make up the core to this Phillies team that has been in the World Series two years running?

We’ll start with Jimmy Rollins. He’s a solid leadoff man, a 3-time All-Star, and a 3-time Gold Glove winner. An MVP in 2007 helps his cause, too. Rollins, entering his 10th season in the league, all with the Phillies, does have strong numbers, but they may not be good enough. As a leadoff man, three categories are vital to his hall status: batting average, hits, on-base percentage. The goal as a leadoff hitter is to set the table for the heart of the order. After last season, Rollins’ career batting average is .274, his on-base percentage is .329, and he has 1629 hits. Rollins average and on-base percentage are probably not good enough. He’s on pace for 2500+ hits, which boosts his cause, but he has to improve his average to achieve baseball immortality.

Next, is Chase Utley. Utley is probably the best candidate on the Phillies at this point in his career. When you look at his position, and the Hall of Famers at second base before him, he seems to be right in line for a place in the Hall. The three Hall of Fame second basemen that come to mind are Jackie Robinson, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg. After last season, Utley’s career numbers consisted of 978 hits, 161 home runs, 585 RBIs, and a career batting average of .295. In Utley’s short 7-year career, he’s on pace to either match or approach similar numbers to that of Robinson, Morgan, Sandberg, and future Hall of Famer Jeff Kent. Kent leads all second basemen in career home runs with 377 home runs. Utley, at 161, averages 2 more home runs per season, than Kent. Utley could potentially be the greatest home run hitting second baseman of all-time, and his numbers, among those at his own position, could earn him a place in the Hall.

The final name, is Ryan Howard. Howard is the Phillies slugger. He’s already set a single-season record with 58 home runs in 2006. The big question for Phillies fans, is can he compete for the club’s all-time record of 548 home runs, set by Mike Schmidt. Howard is at 222 home runs in his brief 6-year career, and is 52 home runs shy of halving Schmidt’s 548. Schmidt played 18 seasons in the majors. Howard boasts the accolades, but what kind of numbers would he need for consideration. You’d be hard pressed to find a Hall of Fame cleanup hitter with less than 500 home runs from this era. Howard looks like a guarantee for 500, and with his batting average hovering around .275, and nearly 1000 RBIs so far, his numbers appear to be Hall material. But, where would his numbers rank among other first baseman in the game today. Howard is surrounded by great first basemen, all All-Star quality, all worthy of Hall of Fame votes. With Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and several other first baseball putting up similar numbers, does Howard post numbers that can earn him a spot among baseball’s greatest.

The Hall may beckon for many players in the future, and some of these current Phillies may be joining the greats of the past. Ryan Howard may join Mike Schmidt, Chase Utley may join Richie Ashburn, and maybe down the road, a Phillies pitcher will join the likes of Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, and Jim Bunning.

Kevin Durso is a writer for Phillies Network. In addition to his work on Phillies Network, you can find articles by him for Philliedelphia and The Loquitur. Also listen to him every Wednesday on 89.1 WYBF-FM in Radnor, PA from 2-4 p.m. on The Block Party, a music show hosted by Kevin featuring sports talk, as well as from 8-9 p.m. on Sports Source, featuring sports talk on all Philly sports. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet. Also check out Phillies Network's page on Facebook or @PhilliesNetwork on twitter for new posts and updates.

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