Philadelphia Phillies: Case for and against each Hall of Fame candidate
By Tim Boyle
Ryan Howard had an awesome prime but is well short of the Hall of Fame
I have a tough time making a strong case for Ryan Howard to become a Hall of Famer. There might not be any athlete I followed as closely as him from his days with the Lakewood BlueClaws to his final at-bat with the Phillies. They don’t build sluggers like him anymore—maybe for the better.
Howard has the lowest career WAR of anyone on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot at 14.7. This is in part to some poor defense. Winning Gold Gloves was never a part of his game. Being serviceable was the goal.
Until his 2011 injury, Howard was well on his way to breaking records and becoming one of baseball’s greats. From 2004-2011, he hit .275/.368/.560 with an average of 45 home runs and 137 RBI per 162 games. These are numbers you won’t find anywhere outside of the best sluggers ever. He even stole 8 bases in 2009. If you asked me to guess, I would have said The Big Piece never stole a single bag in his entire career.
How things finished completely diminishes any shot Howard has at Cooperstown. His 2012-2016 stretch included a .226/.292/.427 slash line with power still present but limited to 29 home runs and 98 RBI per 162 games. A much lesser player in those final years, they ruined his legacy.
Next. A tempting Phillies trade to make with the White Sox. dark
Many of these former Philadelphia Phillies have a tough road ahead of them if they plan to give a Hall of Fame speech. Rolen feels the closest with Wagner in second. This year, I expect those two take a few steps forward. For the diehards willing to make the trip to Cooperstown to see the ceremonies whenever any Phillies play ever gets in, I wouldn’t book a hotel just yet.