Phillies: Top Five First Basemen in Franchise History

1. Ryan Howard (2004 – 2016)

It didn’t take long for Ryan Howard to make his mark in Philadelphia. After two home runs in 42 at-bats in 2004, Ryan Howard won Rookie of the Year in 2005, hitting 22 home runs in 348 at-bats. He followed with a monster 2005 season in which he hit .313 with 58 home runs and 149 RBI, earning MVP honors.

Howard continued his torrid power production with 40-plus home run seasons from 2007-2009. He led the league in home runs and RBI in 2008, helping to lead the team to the World Series title.

Although production declined somewhat over the next two seasons, Howard still posted 33 home runs in 2010 and 31 in 2011.

Injuries took their toll on Howard in 2012 and 2013, limiting him to 151 games and 25 home runs combined. Clearly not the player once was, Howard hit .225 and .199 in his final two years with the Phillies.

Howard signed a Minor League contract with the Braves in April this season but was released on May 8. He later signed a Minor League deal with the Rockies, but didn’t appear in a Major League game.

Next: Top 10 Phillies Starting Pitchers of the Last 10 Years

First in home runs, RBI and runs scored among first basemen in team history, Howard has 358 career home runs and 1194 RBI.