Burrell debuted for the Phillies in 2000 and became an instant fixture in the line-up. In 2002, he had a break out season by hitting 37 home runs and knocking in 116 RBIs, successfully proving himself to one of the most promising young power hitters in baseball. After signing a six-year $50-million dollar contract before the 2003 season, however, he endured a season long slump and finished the season batting .209 with barely half the previous season's production numbers.