Slugger vs. slugger
Ryan Howard vs. Mike Schmidt ... through the years
Slugger vs. slugger
Bob Vetrone Jr.
There is little doubt that Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard will go down as the two greatest sluggers in Phillies history, but their careers have been anything but parallel.
For instance, Schmidt’s career batting average rose steadily through his first nine years in the majors (1972-80), while Howard’s has been declining. The same goes for many of their numbers, including the biggie — home run percentage (HR per 100 AB).
It's amazing how close some of their totals are through nine seasons. The two are within four hits, eight doubles and 17 home runs of each other at corresponding points of their careers ... Howard enters 2013 with nice round totals of 300 home runs and 200 doubles ... Schmidt's RBI and walk totals have always been close ... Schmidt would play into 1989, so nine years was his career's mid-way point, although he was two years younger than Howard when he started in the majors.
Here are their career totals, percentages and averages through each of their first nine major league seasons:
| CAREER TOTALS, AVERAGES THROUGH ... |
||||||||||||||
| 1 Season | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | Avg. | OBA | Slg. | HR% | SO% |
| Schmidt | 13 | 34 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
.206 | .325 | .294 | 2.9 | 44.1 |
| Howard | 19 | 39 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 13 | .282 | .333 | .564 | 5.1 | 33.3 |
| 2 Seasons | ||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
145 | 401 | 45 | 79 | 11 | 19 | 55 | 67 | 151 | .197 | .324 | .367 | 4.7 | 37.7 |
| Howard |
107 | 351 | 57 | 101 | 22 | 24 | 68 | 35 | 113 | .288 | .354 | .567 | 6.8 | 32.2 |
| 3 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
307 | 969 | 153 | 239 | 39 | 55 | 171 | 173 | 289 | .247 | .366 | .472 | 5.7 | 29.8 |
| Howard |
266 | 932 | 161 | 283 | 47 | 82 | 217 | 143 | 294 | .304 | .399 | .624 | 8.8 | 31.6 |
| 4 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
465 | 1531 | 246 | 379 | 73 | 93 | 266 | 274 | 469 | .248 | .366 | .491 | 6.1 | 30.6 |
| Howard |
410 | 1461 | 255 | 425 | 73 | 129 | 353 | 250 | 493 | .291 | .397 | .610 | 8.8 | 33.7 |
| 5 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
625 | 2115 | 358 | 532 | 104 | 131 | 373 | 374 | 618 | .252 | .369 | .500 | 6.2 | 29.2 |
| Howard |
572 | 2071 | 360 | 578 | 99 | 177 | 499 | 331 | 692 | .279 | .380 | .590 | 8.6 | 33.4 |
| 6 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
779 | 2659 | 472 | 681 | 131 | 169 | 474 | 478 | 740 | .256 | .374 | .515 | 6.4 | 27.8 |
| Howard |
732 | 2687 | 465 | 750 | 136 | 222 | 640 | 406 | 878 | .279 | .376 | .586 | 8.3 | 32.7 |
| 7 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
924 | 3172 | 565 | 810 | 158 | 190 | 552 | 569 | 843 | .255 | .372 | .502 | 6.0 | 26.6 |
| Howard |
875 | 3237 | 552 | 902 | 159 | 253 | 748 | 465 | 1035 | .279 | .372 | .572 | 7.8 | 32.0 |
| 8 Seasons |
||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
1084 | 3713 | 674 | 947 | 183 | 235 | 666 | 689 | 958 | .255 | .374 | .511 | 6.3 | 25.8 |
| Howard |
1027 | 3794 | 633 | 1043 | 189 | 286 | 864 | 540 | 1207 | .275 | .368 | .560 | 7.5 | 31.8 |
| 9 Seasons | ||||||||||||||
| Schmidt |
1234 | 4261 | 778 | 1104 | 208 | 283 | 787 | 778 | 1077 | .259 | .375 | .525 | 6.6 | 25.3 |
| Howard |
1098 | 4054 | 661 | 1100 | 200 | 300 | 920 | 565 | 1306 | .271 | .364 | .551 | 7.4 | 32.2 |
Comments (22)
Throw Howard 3 curveballs that start over the plate and break outside, then tell him to go sit the .. down. NEXT.— Mortimer G Fingenfinderstein III- Anyone else feel that all these comparisons do is prove Schmidt wasn't that great, but instead just had a long career?
I have another stat that is pretty telling. Production of HR hitters after they turn 31. Look it up. It'll scare you. See how Howard is trending? Mike Young too? Utley? The nation is writing this team off. And I hope I am completely clueless. But the numbers in baseball never lie.— Mortimer G Fingenfinderstein III - "Anyone else feel that all these comparisons do is prove Schmidt wasn't that great, but instead just had a long career?"
Really? You should be embarrassed by that statement. The argument of this comparison is to show that while Howard had a hot start to his career he (potentially) flamed out just as quickly, where Schmidt got better with time. Schmidt always had the power—no one in National League history, and only Babe Ruth in baseball history has won more home run crowns—but he became a better all-around hitter as he aged. (Schmidt has acknowledged this many times, criticizing himself for not being a better hitter during the Phillies best years in the late 70's/early 80s.)
To say he just had a long career downplays everything he accomplished...3 MVPs, 8 home run crowns, 10 gold gloves, the consideration that he was the best player in the game for several seasons, etc. Also, before the steroid era and tiny ballparks only 6 players in baseball history (Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Robinson, Killebrew and Jackson) had hit more home runs than Schmidt. Mike Schmidt was one of the best players to ever play the game, its best third baseman, and easily the best player in franchise history.— Eilex826 - Anyone have a stat on % of curveballs Howard hits?— Mortimer G Fingenfinderstein III
- I have a stat on the # of moronic statements you've posted on this page. So far it is 3 — DogBiscuitthedope
- I am not so sure that your conclusion about Schmidt is correct, Mort. I've never done a true analysis but I think you might come to a different conclusion if you compared him to his contemporaries rather than the PED era. Three MVPs, many (10?) Gold Gloves, WS MVP, several years leader in HR and/or RBI, etc.....make a rather nice and full trophy case display. Labor strike undermined what probably would have become his greatest season (1981). And no doubt he could have done the DH thing for a few more years to enhance his numbers. He was an even more complete hitter in his thirties and was still playing at a fairly high level when he injured his shoulder (rotator cuff?). I think he earned his spot as the greatest 3B ever!— BillinVA
- Everyone else is wrong and mortimer is correct.... The hall of fame, baseball writers, all the experts all wrong. Motimer uncovered the conspiracy. Schmidt wasn't that good and baseball conspired to put him in the HOF— missurichie
- How many home runs would Schmidt have had if he played in the comfy confines of Citizens Bank Park? Especially in his prime, he might have had a few 55-60 HR seasons. His career totals would have easily been 600 plus.
I watched Schmidt's entire career. With the exception of his rookie year, he NEVER looked as clueless at the plate as Howard often does against left-handers.— MartyT - Schmidty was/is also the greatest defensive 3rd baseman in history, so there's that little missing detail....— Mike in LA
- Insulting to make this comparison. MJS ave 127 SOs per 162 games. Howard 193. MJS in 18 years had 1883 total SO. Howie has 1306 in 9 years. MJS Best defensive 3rd base ever. Howie ave at best if not below on easier position. Stop this Howard nonsense. He is not even close to being a HOFer.— Campatent
- Let's not also forget who was batting behind them most of their carreer?
Quick who was batting behind howard when he hit 58 homeruns?
For most of his career michael jack had the bull behind him who was a much better hitter than schimdt. But in all honesty you can not compare the 2 all i know is i never leave or left my seat when either
one was up to bat. I was working as a busboy the day mike hit his 4 homeruns. I also remember going to a double header when i heard and was disappointed to find out my favorite player was traded and our new first baseman was an old philly who i had not heard of, but still he used to be a great player for us but a trouble maker i heard, his name is? who knows the answer?— wildgreenman - comments comparing Schmidt (best 3rd baseman in history) to Howard (not one of top 50 players in baseball currently) really do exhibit simple ignorance, so I will refer you to the following analyis by D. Schoefield of SI (Jan 15) listing the best players in baseball based on cumulative Baseball-Reference wins against replacement over those five years: 1974-78: Mike Schmidt (41.8), Joe Morgan (38.8);
1975-1979: Mike Schmidt (38.7), George Brett (34.5); 1976-1980: Mike Schmidt (40.8), George Brett (39.0); 1977-1981: Mike Schmidt (39.9), George Brett (33.6); 1978-1982: Mike Schmidt (38.2), Gceorge Brett;
1979-1983: Mike Schmidt (39.7), Robin Yount (33.3);
1980-1984: Mike Schmidt (38.5), Robin Yount (37.1);
1981-1985: Rickey Henderson (38.1), Mike Schmidt (34.7);
1982-1986: Rickey Henderson (36.7), Cal Ripken (34.7), Wade Boggs (34.5), Mike Schmidt (33.7) ("Schmidt’s last great season came in 1987. From 1974 to 1987 -- a run of 14 seasons -- his lowest WAR was 5.3. Baseball-Reference ranks him as the first- or second-best position player in the NL in 11 of those 14 seasons."); 1983-1987: Wade Boggs (39.6), Rickey Henderson (34.1), Cal Ripken (33.3), Mike Schmidt (31.4).... also you an go to Sporting News or S.I. or espn compilations of baseball's 100 best players and Schmidt generally is ranked between 25 and 30...— warbiscuit - Moronic Stool — DogBiscuitthedope
- that was from SI analysis of top players in baseball 1/15/12...Schmidt won 8 homerun titles --second only to Babe Ruth..how many titles has Howard won? -schmidt won 10 gold gloves, once stole 29 bases in a season, and frequently led league in on-base pctege numerous time (can anyone imagine Howard ever with a high-base ptcgte?!)-- Schmidt was a 5-tool player -- Howard is barely a one-tool player and had Schmidt played in Howard's era, he would have likely out-homered Howard too -only the biggest imbeciles who know noithign about baseball would put one of the top 25 players of all time in a sentence with someon who's not in top 400— warbiscuit
- Idiot — DogBiscuitthedope
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