Phillies: What to expect from Spencer Howard in MLB debut

The Phillies have a winner in Spencer Howard

First off, let’s ease your concerns and worries about the Phillies rushing Howard up to the big leagues too quickly and making him a bust. Similar to Aaron Nola, Howard was drafted out of college after pitching for a few seasons at Cal Poly. He does not need as much preparation as some of the younger guys in the minor leagues. He faced some big bats on the West Coast against teams like UC Irvine, who had first-round pick Keston Hiura in their lineup. Nola likely saw fiercer competition in the SEC, pitching at a powerhouse school like LSU, but Howard was more than ready to begin his professional career when he did.

Most will be worried about the fact that Howard pitched in just six games in Double-A with the Reading Fightin’ Phils last year. That shouldn’t be a huge concern with the numbers he posted though. In those six starts, he was 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a .180 BAA, 38 strikeouts, and just nine walks in 30 2/3 innings of work.

Not to mention, Howard has allowed just 10 home runs in 47 career minor league starts. He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League in 2019 and had a record of 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, 27 strikeouts, and 10 walks in six starts and 21 1/3 innings.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this kid is a winner. He’s put up great numbers everywhere he’s been, and he loves to compete.

Phillies fans will quickly learn that Howard has elite ‘stuff’ that will fool hitters at any level

The 36th-ranked prospect in baseball has a lethal four-pitch arsenal that results in a lot of swings and misses. At this point, most fans know that Howard has reached 99 miles per hour with his fastball and can blow it by hitters with ease. Expect to see a lot of his off-speed pitches on Sunday as well.

Even when Howard gets behind in the count, he can fool hitters with his nasty changeup that’s disguised as a fastball until it crosses the plate. It’s almost as good as Aaron Nola‘s on a really good day.

Howard’s slider has good velocity and a lot of bite to it, similar to Zack Wheeler‘s. He’ll likely get most of his strikeouts with it. His curveball is probably the least reliable of his four pitches, but it isn’t bad at all and can help keep hitters off balance at 76 miles per hour. It’s obviously difficult to adjust to that after seeing a fastball that touches 99 miles per hour.

The only major concern with Howard is how well he can locate all four of those pitches. It doesn’t matter how nasty your pitches are if you don’t have command. However, Howard is an intelligent pitcher and understands how to attack each individual hitter. When he misses his spot, he doesn’t panic and comes right back on the next pitch to challenge his opponent. He’ll also be able to get away with some mistakes with the velocity he has.

Howard’s confidence doesn’t fade when he doesn’t have success. During his minor league career, he had eight starts in which he gave up four or more runs. In the eight starts directly following, he posted a 1.38 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.

That’s the definition of bouncing back. He also doesn’t get too arrogant after his best performances and keeps things in perspective. The 24-year-old has the tools and personality to be a successful starter for a long time. His competitive spirit is admirable.

What should we expect from Howard in his Phillies debut on Sunday?

Since Howard will be pitching in a seven-inning game thanks to the new doubleheader rule, there’s a chance he could pitch deep into the game, but the Phillies probably won’t want to push him too far in his first outing. Expect Howard to throw anywhere from three to six innings, depending on how well he manages his pitch count. He’s only given up more than four earned runs in four of his 47 career starts in the minor leagues, so he’s going to give the Phillies a chance to win almost every single time he’s out on the mound.

The righty should get a decent amount of strikeouts against an Atlanta Braves lineup that is mostly made up of right-handed hitters. Howard should be able to get them to bite on the slider away and the changeup dipping below the zone. Entering the weekend series, the Braves led the league in strikeouts with 152, so it’s a perfect matchup for the young prospect.

While we shouldn’t put too much pressure on Howard to have an amazing debut, it’s hard to see him not having a strong outing with the velocity and break he gets on his pitches. He also knows when to use each of his pitches. Some guys might have great “stuff” but they often get into trouble because they become predictable and the ball jumps off the bat. We’ve seen that for multiple seasons with Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta.

Phillies fans are going to have a hard time getting to sleep tonight with all of the excitement surrounding Howard’s debut.

The time has finally come. Spencer Howard is here and the future is bright.