Ryan James Howard (born November 19, 1979, in St. Louis, Missouri) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Howard is 6' 4" and 260 lbs.

He bats and throws left-handed. Howard was the 2006 National League MVP. On June 27, 2007, Howard became the fastest player to reach 100 home runs in Major League Baseball history.

Selected in the 5th round of the 2001 draft, Howard quickly ascended the Phillies' minor league system, earning consecutive MVP awards in the Florida State and Eastern leagues (2003 and 2004), respectively. Howard also set the single-season home run record for the Reading Phillies, with 37 in 102 games. His aggregate 46 home runs in 2004 led the minors.

While doing this, he impressed scouts enough that general managers of several teams tried to lure the Phillies' Ed Wade into trading him, as Jim Thome was blocking his path to the majors.

Similar to 0 things you like: