Chase Utley


Date of Birth: 12/17/1978
Birthplace: Pasadena, California
College: UCLA
Nickname: The Man

Chase Utley, second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 1997 but he opted to play for UCLA instead. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2000 and he spent almost four years in the minor leagues before making his first appearance with the Phillies in 2003.

Utley played in 43 games with the Phillies in 2003 and 94 games in 2004. He became the team's regular second baseman in 2005, his first full season in the major leagues. That year, he batted .291 with 158 hits, 39 doubles, 28 home runs, 105 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 147 games. The next season, he set a record with a 35 game hitting streak. He won his first of four consecutive Silver Slugger awards in 2006.

In January, 2007, Utley signed a seven-year, $85 million contract with the Phillies. He followed the signing with one of his best seasons with career highs in doubles (48) and batting average (.332). He had 176 hits, 22 home runs, and 103 RBIs in 132 games. Utley won his second Silver Slugger award in 2007. He won his third and fourth Silver Slugger awards in 2008 and 2009.

From 2010 through 2013, Utley suffered from assorted injuries. In 2012, he played in just 83 games and in 131 games in 2013. The following year, he batted .284 with 135 hits, 25 doubles, and 18 home runs.

In August, 2013, Utley signed a two-year, $27 million contract extension. He finished the 2014 season with 159 hits, 36 doubles, 78 RBIs, and a .270 batting average in 155 games.

Utley was traded to the Dodgers on August 19, 2015. He finished the 2015 season with 79 hits, 21 doubles, 39 RBIs, and a .212 batting average in 73 games with the Phillies and 34 games with the Dodgers. As a second baseman in 88 games, he made 230 assists, 53 double plays, 154 putouts, and 8 errors.

Utley finished the 2016 season with 129 hits, 26 doubles, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .252 batting average in 138 games. Defensively, as the Dodgers' second baseman in 134 games, he made 266 assists, 49 double plays, 195 putouts, and 5 errors. In the postseason, he batted just .107 with 3 hits in 28 at-bats in 10 games.

Utley batted .236 in 127 games with the Dodgers in 2017. He finished the season with 73 hits, 20 doubles, 34 RBIs, and 57 strikeouts to 32 walks. Defensively, he played 17 games at first base and 80 games at second base. In the postseason, he had no hits in 15 at-bats in 9 games.

Utley elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He re-signed with the Dodgers on February 17, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 35 hits and a .213 batting average in 87 games. He didn't play in the postseason.

Utley officially retired on June 21, 2019.

Statistics for Utley in 17 seasons (2003-2018) in the major leagues include:

  • 6 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 203 in 2006
  • 5 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 48 in 2007
  • 5 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 33 in 2008
  • 4 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 105 in 2005
  • 2 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .332 in 2007

Career batting statistics for Utley through 2018 include:

  • 1,937 games played
  • 1,885 hits
  • 411 doubles
  • 259 home runs
  • 154 stolen bases
  • 1,025 RBIs
  • 1,193 strikeouts to 724 walks
  • .275 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Utley at second base through 2018 include:

  • 1,743 games played
  • 4,535 assists
  • 993 double plays
  • 3,426 putouts
  • 147 errors
  • .982 fielding percentage

Charitable Work

Utley established The Utley Foundation to aid the fight against animal abuse. Information on the foundation is available at theutleyfoundation.com.

Personal Life

Utley and his wife Jennifer have one son.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Chase Utley
ESPN - Chase Utley