Ryan Howard Biography

Ryan James Howard, born November 19, 1979, is an American former professional baseball first baseman nicknamed the Big Piece. Howard played his entire Major League Baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2004 to 2016. He was named a National League All-Star in 2006, 2009, and 2010 and earned multiple awards including the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron Awards in 2009. From 2006 to 2009, Howard hit 198 home runs, recording at least 45 in each season. He finished his collegiate career with 50 home runs, 183 RBIs, and a .335 batting average across 172 games. The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Howard in the fifth round of the 2001 draft and assigned him to the Batavia Muckdogs in the New York–Penn League. Howard made his MLB debut with 42 plate appearances in 19 games for the Phillies during the 2004 season.