Ryan Howard

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Howard's rise was meteoric. After a strong collegiate career at Missouri State University where he hit 50 home runs, he ascended through the Phillies' minor league system, setting single-season records like his 37 homers in 102 games for the Reading Phillies. His 2006 season stands as a historic high point; he became the first player to hit into Ashburn Alley and later shattered Mike Schmidt's franchise record with 58 home runs. He tied a Major League record by walking five times in a single game on July 30, 2006. From August 25 to September 3, 2006, he hit home runs in four consecutive games, including three in one contest against the Braves, becoming just the second batter ever to hit 50 homers in a sophomore season.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Citizens Bank Park shifted on August 31, 2006, when Howard connected off a pitcher at RFK Stadium, sending a ball into the upper deck to surpass Mike Schmidt's single-season home run record. Just days later, on September 3, he went 4-for-4 with three home runs and a double against the Atlanta Braves, becoming the first Phillies batter to hit 50 home runs in a season. His performance that August earned him NL Player of the Month honors after driving in 41 runs, the most by any player since July 1962. By September 27, he had become the first Phillies batter since Jim Thome to walk 100 times in a season. These moments defined his MVP year, where he finished with a .313 average, 58 home runs, and 149 RBIs.

Reader's Guide

Howard's professional journey began when the Phillies selected him in the fifth round of the 2001 draft. He earned consecutive awards in the Florida State League (2003) and Eastern League (2004), setting a Reading Phillies record with 37 home runs. Promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he became the fifth minor league player since 1956 to hit at least 46 home runs in a season. His MLB debut came on September 1, 2004, where he struck out against Jaret Wright, but by September 11, he had hit his first career homer off Bartolomé Fortunato. In 2005, he led all rookies with 22 home runs and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He followed this in 2006 by winning the NL MVP, becoming a three-time All-Star (2006, 2009, 2010), and capturing the Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, and NLCS MVP in 2009.

Did You Know?

• Howard is the fastest player in MLB history to reach both 100 and 200 home runs, passing the marks in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
• In 2006, he became the first player to hit a home run into Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park.
• He tied a Major League record by walking five times in a single game on July 30, 2006, against the Marlins.
• Howard is tied with Sammy Sosa for the most National League 140 RBI seasons (three) and 130 RBI seasons (four).
• By age 30, Howard had hit 222 home runs in just 732 games.