Since the Phillies first started as a professional baseball team in 1883, we have seen 25 different men hold the office of President of the United States of America. Today, in honor of President’s Day, we look and see which presidents the Phillies have performed the best under.
To keep things fair and unbiased, this list will be based on each president’s respective win percentage. Postseason success will not play a factor in determining a president’s rank in this list, so it is best to recognize the two presidents under whom the Phillies have won a World Series now: Presidents Jimmy Carter (1980) and George W. Bush (2008). If you expand that list to include World Series appearances, then the list would also include Presidents Woodrow Wilson (1915), Harry S. Truman (1950), Ronald Reagan (1983), Bill Clinton (1993), Barack Obama (2009), and Joe Biden (2022).
Now with that State of the Union dealt with, let’s get to the list.
No. 5 Benjamin Harrison (1889-1892)
President Benjamin Harrison was known as the “centennial president,” being the president 100 years after President George Washington first took office. In addition to modernizing the U.S. Navy fleet, Harrison was known for economic legislation like the McKinley Tariff and the Sherman Antitrust Act, as well as aiding in the creation of national forest reserves.
Under Harrison, the Phillies boasted a 296-252-8 record for a win percentage of .540 overall. In the days of Billy Hamilton and Ed Delahanty, these Phillies teams were a part of one of the first good eras of Philadelphia baseball. In 1892, before the days of a standardized 162-game season, the Phillies reached 80 wins for the first time as a franchise with an 87-66-2 record.
No. 4 Joe Biden (2021-2024)
Next on the list is the only 21st-century president to make the top five. Anyone who is reading this article does not need a summary of Biden’s time in office, as he is only one month out of office at the time of publishing. Biden is, however, a Delaware native and a lifetime Phillies fan.
While Biden was in office, the Phillies returned to form as one of the top powers in the National League. The Phillies reached the postseason three out of Biden’s four years in office. Led by the likes of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola, the Phillies had a record of 354-294 (.546) under Biden.
No. 3 Grover Cleveland (1885-1888, 1893-1896)
Back in the 19th century, President Grover Cleveland lost his second-term election to the No. 5 spot on this list, President Harrison, in 1888 and then proceeded to defeat Harrison when he sought re-election in 1892. During his time in office, Cleveland navigated hard times, including labor strikes, while establishing a strong executive branch with a record-breaking use of presidential vetoes.
The same general era in Phillies’ baseball as under Harrison, the Phillies thrived under Cleveland, with their only bad season coming at the end of his second term in 1896. Overall, the Phillies went 554-441-23 (.556) over Cleveland’s eight years in office. His first year in office also brought the Phillies (then the Quakers) their first no-hitter in franchise history when Charlie Ferguson defeated the Providence Grays 1-0.
No. 2 Gerald R. Ford (1974-1976)
President Gerald Ford is an interesting one, as he is the only president to reach office without ever being elected president or vice president. Appointed as vice president under President Richard M. Nixon in December 1973 after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford assumed the role of president in August 1974 after the resignation of Nixon. During his presidency, the Vietnam War ended, the Cold War began to creep towards its conclusion with the Helsinki Accords, and Ford controversially pardoned Nixon following the Watergate scandal. After finishing out Nixon’s second term, Ford sought election in 1976 but lost to the No. 1 president on this list.
The Phillies teams of the late 70s and early 80s made their mark and featured some of the best ballplayers in Phillies history. Steve Carlton, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, and Tug McGraw are just some of the names that you cannot ignore when looking at these teams. And, of course, the fans of the era will never forget Harry Kalas announcing whenever Michael Jack Schmidt came to bat. We all know where this story ends, but while Ford was in office, this Phillies team went 209-164 (.560) over those two-plus seasons.
Honorable Mentions: The Bottom Five Presidents
There is no sense in doing a historical look at the Phils through the lens of American presidents without looking at the elephant in the room. The Phillies, as the losingest team in professional sports history, have lost 11,326 games over their 122-year lifespan. As such, the five presidents with the worst win percentages in Phillies history are as follows: Presidents Richard M. Nixon (in office 1969-1974, .427 win percentage), Calvin Coolidge (1923-1928, .357), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1944, .354), Warren G. Harding (1921-1923, .350), and Chester A. Arthur (1883-1884, .269).
No. 1 Jimmy Carter (1977-1980)
Recently deceased President Jimmy Carter tops the list. Having narrowly defeated the incumbent President Ford in the 1976 election, Carter’s time in office included the negotiations of the Camp David Accords and the Panama Canal Treaties along with creating the Departments of Energy and Education. Abroad he also had to deal with crises such as the Soviets invading Afghanistan and the Iranian revolution.
The likes of Pete Rose, Manny Trillo, and Bake McBride joined an already strong lineup as the Fightin’ Phils tried to win their first World Series. Carter’s first two years in office featured the Phillies’ second and third consecutive appearances in the National League Championship Series. Then, after a down year in 1979, the Phillies brought home the pennant in 1980, defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games. Tug McGraw earned the save in Game Six, and Mike Schmidt was named World Series MVP.
What Does This Mean for the Phillies Now?
From his first term, the Phils have been 255-291 (.467) under President Donald J. Trump, putting Trump squarely in the middle of the pack in the context of this list. The current Phillies team still ranks among the top in the league, but the question remains: how long will the Phillies be able to sustain their success with the core team members aging?
To date, the Phillies have only won a World Series in an election year, so either the Phillies will need to break that streak, or the Phillies’ next chance to claim their championship parade will not be until 2028.
