Ryan Howard is on fire…white hot, scorching fire.
Since June 22 (27 games), @ryanhoward is batting .320 (24-75) with 7 HRs, 19 RBI & a .667 SLG%. #BigPiece pic.twitter.com/ak5yb7VSTF
— Phillies (@Phillies) August 13, 2016
This is the kind of run the 36-year-old slugger(yes, he’s a slugger again) needed to reignite what had been a horribly pitiful season to this point. Although still hitting under the Mendoza line, Howard seems to have recaptured some of the swagger of his youth. It looks as if he’s having fun again, something Philadelphia fans haven’t seen in a long time.
Maybe this is just a flash in the pan but maybe it’s more. Maybe, just maybe, this is the kind of hot streak that puts him on the radar of an American League franchise. The likelihood of the Big Piece getting traded at this point is low but he’s auditioning for next year. Howard has stated that he would like to play next season which looked like a long shot a few months ago. However, if he continues his hot hitting through the remainder of the season, a 14th season may not be out of reach for the former MVP.
Who knows what will happen in the long run but it sure is nice to see this, even if it’s just a part of one last small, fleeting moment.
(P.S. Jim Thome’s reaction is priceless)
