Leading off on Alumni Weekend for the Phillies …
Second baseman. No. 26. Chase Utley!
The Phillies announced on Thursday that they will induct the World Series-winner into the Wall of Fame on Aug. 7 as part of the annual Alumni Weekend celebration.
We’re proud to announce Chase Utley as our 2026 Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame Inductee!
Chase will take his place on the wall on Friday, August 7, to lead off Alumni Weekend pic.twitter.com/ENAfw5fsmE
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 12, 2026
Utley joins his longtime doubleplay partner Jimmy Rollins on the Wall of Fame. The electric shortstop was inducted last season and Ryan Howard, the slugging first baseman, is surely in line for next year.
Utley manned second base for the Phillies for parts of 13 seasons and was six-time All-Star. He was a postseason standout as well, clubbing 10 career playoff homers, including a whopping five during the 2009 World Series against the Yankees.
He made one of the most iconic plays in the 2008 World Series triumph when, with the score tied at 3-all in the seventh of the clinching Game 5, he fielded a grounder up the middle, pump-faked the throw to first and fired home to cut down the go-ahead run at the plate.
The Phillies went on to win the game, 4-3, and claim their first World Series title since 1980.
Utley finished his career playing three-and-half seasons for the Dodgers. He posted a career slash line of .275/.358/.465 with an .823 OPS and 5.4 WAR average over a 162-game season.
In the 2008 title-winning season, a 29-year-old Utley hit .292 with 33 HR and 104 RBI.
Utley is also trending in the right direction toward election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He received 251 votes (59.1%) in his third year on the ballot. Candidates need 319 votes to reach the 75% threshold for induction.
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The United States avoided an early exit from the World Baseball Classic and qualified for the quarterfinals thanks to Italy’s 9-1 victory over Mexico.
Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola got the win for Italy after he tossed five scoreless frames. Nola allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one.
“I just wanted to be efficient for Italy, and I wanted to get focused taking it hitter by hitter, how I always do,” Nola told reporters in Houston after the game. “It’s kind of my goal every game, to slow things down and to command all my pitches. And it worked tonight.”
Phillies prospect Dante Nori, batting ninth and playing left field, also had a productive night with a single and RBI when he dropped down a bunt on a safety squeeze.
Nori went 6-for-12 with two homes and five RBI in the four pool play games.