Phillies: Ryan Howard pursuing MLB comeback in 2018

Phillies legend Ryan Howard is making one final push in his career

Not many Phillies fans remember game 162 of the last couple years. There are some interesting things about them. It’s often fan appreciation day at Citizens Bank Park, you can see if the Phillies will only finish 19 games under .500 instead of 21, and maybe there is a chance to play spoilers to a contending team. But in all truth, these past couple years game 162 is completely meaningless to the Phillies.

But on the 2016 finale, a 5-2 win against the wild card New York Mets, game 162 was not just an ending to the season, it was an ending to an era. The Ryan Howard era.

So on October 2, 2016, game 162, it appeared Howard had played his final game. But Howard has other plans.

But now, at age 38 Howard told TMZ Sports he is “still active, so we’ll see what happens.” He also said he wants to “kill that noise” that his career is over.

In 2017 Ryan Howard was signed twice. First by the Atlanta Braves, then by the Colorado Rockies, but never saw major league action.

Ryan Howard is an iconic Phillie in every sense of the phrase. He started his career off at as high of a level as you could, winning the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year. He followed that up with one of the most dominant offensive seasons in baseball history. He batted .313 with league-highs with 58 home runs and 149 RBI. He also set career highs that year in hits, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, total bases (led league) and intentional walks.

Howard claimed an all-star appearance, silver slugger, and 2006 MVP. He continued a dominating stretch hitting 45 home runs in three straight more years, including two NL pennants and a World Series.

Howard’s 382 home runs are second all-time in Phillies history (hoping Hoskins changes that). He led MLB in home runs twice and led Phillies in 8 of his 10 full seasons.

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However, Howard fell the same time the Phillies did. Following an Achilles tear in the franchise’s last postseason game he, like the Phillies, was never the same. After hitting 30 homers and 100 RBI in six straight years, he never accomplished either in his final five seasons.

If Howard does complete his MLB return, there is almost no chance it will be with Philadelphia. They already have Hoskins and Santana. Perhaps he could go to a young contender, someone like the Rockies, that could use a veteran with playoff experience.

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If Howard does return he will probably return with two goals on his mind. 18 more home runs to push the big piece to 400, and his second World Series ring.