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★★★
You know the story by now. Ryan Howard was a serious power hitter in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup, who was awarded a long-term, lucrative extension that basically everyone except the most stubborn of RBI-loving, blog-hatin’ fans and beat writers laughed at. The deal was signed in early 2010, almost two full years before it needed to be, and its first, avoidable moments were awful ones: Howard tore his Achilles to end the 2011 NLDS, effectively kicking off his extension. Things didn’t improve from there, with Howard’s bat coming in well below-average at first base over the next three years, unable to prop up his awful defense -- he was a $20 million-plus replacement-level player that never needed to exist.
While it might be fun to laugh at the Phillies’ hubris, you have to feel for Howard himself, especially after an offseason in which his general manager exclaimed the team would be better off without him. To Howard’s credit, he might have figured out a way to make himself useful to the Phillies once more, rejuvenating his career at age 35: Howard is being more aggressive and swinging at the first pitch, and he’s enjoying his best season since 2009 because of it, batting .270/.313/.546 with 10 homers and a Phillies-leading 133 OPS+.
Howard has struggled while behind in the count in his career, and time has not made him any better in that situation. Swinging at the automatic strikes pitchers offer him to begin at-bats has its obvious merits, and while Howard maybe can’t keep it up forever, the result will be pitchers attacking him early on and less often, giving him more control over his own plate appearances once more. He’s not going to be the player he used to be, not at 35, but a mini career renaissance could help him and help the Phillies, and for a player who was seemingly a lost cause just months ago, that’s real progress.
- Speaking of the Phillies and the adventures of Ruben Amaro, he’s not pleased with fans’ impatience regarding the arrival of top prospects like Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin. We’ve got a code red on the Smug Advisory System, please advise.
- Reds ace and top trade chip Johnny Cueto is going to have his elbow checked out after missing his last start with stiffness. That sounds promising.
- Let’s rank the five biggest concerns for the under-.500 Padres.
- Bartolo Colon is an absolute treasure, and the only reason you won’t hear a demand for a universal DH in this space by this author. Not while Bartolo still roams.
- Granted, pitcher dingers are pretty great, but maybe not as great as competent plate appearances more often than not.
- Nolan Arenado is really great at baseball. If you want a reminder of that or just want to watch his latest defensive escapades, this link is for you.
- The Tigers have been at a crossroads during manager Brad Ausmus’ tenure, and it’s frustrating to watch a good baseball team act like anything but.
- The Yankees don’t need a total makeover to get back on track, just incremental upgrades and some savvy tweaks.
- Giancarlo Stanton is known for the dingers, but dude can play his position, too.
- Russell A. Carleton wants to know just when the sabermetric revolution occurred.
- Steven Wright might not be a permanent answer in the Red Sox rotation, but he has earned the right to stop heading back to Triple-A multiple times per season.
- Khris Davis hit three homers in two at-bats. Well, sort of.
- Prince Fielder gloating after making it back safely on a pickoff throw that didn’t actually count is a delight.
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