Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard Has To Have An Effect On Team In 2014

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies had a horrific offensive season. They had a team average of .248, which was 10th worst in the National league and 21st in all of the Major Leagues. Something has to change. In my opinion, someone has to step up, and that would be first baseman Ryan Howard.

Howard is going to be coming back from knee surgery, which is going to be hard to come back from. However, he has a lot to prove, especially if he wants to keep his spot at first base. He has been slacking in the offensive department the last couple of seasons. For the money that the Phillies are spending, he needs to help the team more than he has been.

Before he was injured, Howard was hitting .266; he played in 80 games and hit 43 RBI. That may seem like a lot, but he usually hits over 100. He only hit 11 home runs, and last season he only hit 14; he usually hits well over 30. Howard is known as the “Big Piece,” but he is far from that as of right now.

The Phillies need a powerful bat if they want to make the playoffs in 2014. Howard can be one of them if he is healthy and starts to see the ball the way he used too. He used to be a key piece to the Phillies’ offense, and he needs to find his way back.

The fans of Philadelphia want to see a winning team. They expect a lot out of Howard, and they deserve to see him step it up and show that he wants to improve.

Rebekah is a Philadelphia Phillies writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow her on Twitter and Google+

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