Ryan Howard

The fastest slugger to reach 100 and 200 home runs, anchoring the Phillies from 2004 to 2016.

Ryan Howard, known as "the Big Piece," is an American former professional baseball first baseman who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2004 to 2016. Born on November 19, 1979, in Florissant, Missouri, Howard made his MLB debut in September 2004 and quickly established himself as a dominant force. He is renowned for being the fastest player in baseball history to reach both 100 home runs and 200 home runs, achieving these milestones in record time during his peak years.

Quick Facts

Position: First baseman
Bats: Left
Born: 19 November 1979
Birthplace: Florissant, Missouri, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: September 1
Debut year: 2004
Debut team: Philadelphia Phillies

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.

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.
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.