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Chase Utley is hitting .309 with 15 homers, 44 RBIs and 47 runs scored this season for the Phillies.

By Rick Sutcliffe, ESPN

The Phillies might have another MVP on their hands. Ryan Howard won the MVP award in 2006 and Jimmy Rollins won it in 2007, but it's another name from the Phillies' lineup that comes to my mind for the 2009 National League MVP trophy.

No, not Raul Ibanez, although his numbers obviously have been very impressive so far and he certainly could get consideration come award season. The guy I'm focused on right now for MVP is second baseman Chase Utley. When you talk to the team, the name mentioned most often when you are talking about what manager Charlie Manuel calls "special players" is Utley's.

Utley is special. Obviously, the fans have known this for a while. He is leading the National League votes for the All-Star Game and has been voted to start the past three All-Star Games. Look at his offensive numbers (.309, 15 homers, 44 RBIs, 47 runs scored) and you notice he is strong in all categories, especially when you consider those numbers are coming from a middle infielder. Utley, however, did go 0-for-4 Wednesday in the Phillies' loss to the Blue Jays.

What makes his performance even more special is the fact that he is coming off extensive hip surgery in the offseason. Right around the start of May 2008, he started feeling pain in that hip, but he somehow gutted through the rest of the year all the way through October. This guy is tough; he could have been a really good boxer. We know he can take a punch. He has those lightning-quick hands that he shows off all the time in batting practice. Coaches and players talk about his tremendous strength from the elbows down, and that gives Utley the ability to take the bat anywhere in the zone at any time. That is part of why he is so successful at the plate. As with Howard, Utley's defense is getting better each and every year.

But something that was said a few years back really illustrated just how special Utley is. His former teammate, Aaron Rowand, paid him the ultimate compliment by saying Utley was everything you could ask for in a teammate, a friend, a husband, a father and a man. To me, that says everything you need to know about the guy.

It's so hard to repeat as champions, but a lot of people think that, at least on paper, this year's team is better than last year's Phillies. That's an awfully big compliment, considering the 2008 squad won 92 games and the World Series. There are two big reasons people are saying this group is better: The Phillies added Ibanez to the lineup, and, at least so far, it appears they are headed toward an entire season with a healthy Utley. Every special team has at least a couple of special players. Utley certainly fills that role for the Phillies.

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TOUCH 'EM ALL

Who went deep? Keep track of all the home runs hit each day on "Baseball Tonight" and on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page.

For more, check out the Home Run Tracker page.

Home Run Tracker
NAME	HR	OPP	PITCHER	SITUATION
A. Ramirez, CWS	6	ChC	Dempster	Top 1: 1-2, 1 Outs. None on.
T. Ishikawa, SF	2	LAA	Palmer	Bot 7: 2-0, 0 Outs. None on.
M. Wieters, Bal	1	NYM	Redding	Bot 2: 0-0, 1 Outs. 1 on.
R. Barajas, Tor	5	Phi	Moyer	Top 2: 3-1, 0 Outs. None on.
J. Bruce, Cin	16	Atl	Vazquez	Bot 2: 3-2, 2 Outs. None on.
Y. Escobar, Atl	7	Cin	Owings	Top 3: 3-2, 0 Outs. 1 on.
J. Hardy, Mil	6	Cle	Huff	Top 2: 2-0, 1 Outs. None on.
A. Dunn, Was	18	NYY	Wang	Top 4: 3-0, 1 Outs. None on.

The complete list of Wednesday's homers

ON DECK: THURSDAY'S BEST MATCHUPS

White Sox at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET

Carlos Zambrano was supposed to pitch in the series opener, but his start was pushed back after Tuesday's game was rained out. Zambrano has more wins than any other pitcher in the life of the Cubs' interleague series with the White Sox, with five in nine starts. In a stretch of five starts, Gavin Floyd's ERA has dropped from 7.71 on May 17 to 4.94.

Blue Jays at Phillies, 1:05 p.m. ET

The Blue Jays took a serious hit Wednesday, with ace Roy Halladay and closer Scott Downs both placed on the disabled list. Brad Mills gets the call for Toronto. It will be his first major league start. Joe Blanton has settled into a rhythm after a shaky start, winning his past three decisions.

Tigers at Cardinals, 8:05 p.m. ET

Joel Pineiro opened the year with four wins, but things have gone downhill since he reached 4-0 on May 19. He has lost seven of eight starts since then. Granted, Pineiro hasn't gotten much help, with the Cardinals scoring two or fewer runs in five of the seven losses. Rick Porcello threw a season-high 99 pitches his last time out.

For the rest of Thursday's schedule, click here.