Move over Red Sox, the Phillies have claimed the title of coolest outfield in baseball
For the past handful of seasons, the Red Sox have been the undisputed holders of the title "Coolest Outfield in Baseball" -- thanks in large part to a wildly charismatic superstar in Mookie Betts and, until last season, an extremely GIF-friendly group postgame celebration.
Even without the celebration, they still have plenty of fun. It's appointment viewing whenever Betts is mic'd up on the field. Jackie Bradley Jr. isn't bad on the mic, either.
It's clear Boston had -- and continues to have -- an immensely talented and fun outfield, but their reign as the coolest kids on the block has come to an end. The Phillies made that announcement official on Thursday.
Over the offseason, a lot of words were written about how the additions of Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper would improve the Phillies as a baseball team. Fewer words were dedicated to analyzing how they could come together with bat-flipping king Odubel Herrera to form the most lovable trio in the game.
Let's start by taking them separately.
Odubel Herrera
You already know about Herrera's bat flips. He'll flip his bat in celebration of anything from a home run to a walk. They're frequent and they're good quality. Let's just look at one for a reminder.
He only went 1-for-4 to open the season, but Herrera did his real work before the game even started. The Phillies had a bit of a pregame fashion show and the center fielder stole the show with his bold color choices:
Andrew McCutchen
You already knew Cutch was cool thanks to his forays into filmmaking on social media. It's a crime that he hasn't gotten the Betts treatment and been mic'd up for a game.
On Thursday, he introduced his coolness to Phillies fans. Obviously, most of the attention was on Harper over in right field, but McCutchen made fans notice him by hitting a home run in his first at-bat as a Phillie.
When he took the field the next inning, the fans showed their appreciation and Cutch responded in the coolest and most gracious way possible.
Andrew McCutchen now gets standing ovation and bows as he runs out to LF after his HR!! @6abc #Phillies #OpeningDay #RingTheBell
— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) March 28, 2019
pic.twitter.com/FJl6zwzTrJ
Bryce Harper
As the team's biggest addition, Harper got the most attention on Opening Day and -- aside from an 0-for-3 performance at the plate -- he did everything to earn it. It all started with some objectively ugly, but nevertheless brilliant, Phanatic cleats, complete with eyes.
.@bryceharper3: Philly guy. pic.twitter.com/PYNejTtNEu
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 28, 2019
And when he took the field, he showed the crowd some love with a deep bow and a fist pump:
LET'S GO! pic.twitter.com/iyBTxPxb8u
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 28, 2019
Harper's walk-up playlist featured a track from Meek Mill, which, along with the Phanatic cleats, showed him as a true Philly guy. It only took him one game to be From Philly.
The postgame celebration
But a great outfield is more than just the sum of its parts. To be truly cool, the group has to come together in some way. Just one game in, the Phillies are doing just that.
After every win, the Red Sox outfielders meet on the field for a small dance party. It looks like the Phillies' trio is going to establish a similar postgame routine. On Thursday, they Trusted the Process with a basketball scene in which Cutch eurostepped past Herrera to dunk his glove into Harper's waiting arms.
We like to have fun here. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/MbodHEllS1
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 28, 2019
This group of Phillies might not have a World Series like the Red Sox (or at least not yet). But, after just one game together, they already have a better winning percentage than the Red Sox outfield and have clearly surpassed the World Series champs in coolness. Give it a week and we'll think we were stupid for ever considering the Red Sox cool at all.
Eric Chesterton is a writer for MLB.com. He is an appreciator of the stolen base, the bunt against the shift and nearly every unconventional uniform design. He eagerly awaits Jamie Moyer's inevitable comeback.
