Former Phillies star Ryan Howard stays connected to baseball through ESPN job

As a player, Ryan Howard was insightful, especially when analyzing hitting. Now the former Phillies star first baseman will be using that expertise in his new job as an ESPN baseball analyst.

Howard was hired last month by ESPN, where he will serve as a Baseball Tonight analyst in addition to regularly appearing on SportsCenter, Get Up!, ESPN Radio and other platforms.

“My analysis will basically be looking at whatever the situations are and telling the real,” Howard said Monday during an ESPN conference call with fellow analyst Mark Teixeira, the former Yankees first baseman. “Telling the truth on the situation from my point of view. Same thing with Mark. Having been on the field and now in the analyst role, we will call it like we see it, we will also kind of throw the different experiences we had from playing and being out there for the viewers as well.”

Howard, 39, showed his humorous side when asked how he sees the Phillies’ chances this year.

“Totally didn’t see that [question] coming from the Philadelphia Inquirer,” he said.

Then he got serious talking about a Phillies team with high expectations.

“I think they’ve got a great shot,” said Howard, the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year, 2006 NL MVP, and three-time All-Star with the Phillies. “I think lineup-wise one through six, one though seven, I think they can go out there and pretty much hit with anybody. The biggest thing for me, the biggest concern for me, is going to be their pitching.”

He has concerns both with the rotation and relief corps.

“Aaron Nola did what he did last year and if he is able to repeat that, they will be in a good position,” Howard said. “I think the other factor is with [Jake] Arrieta. If he gets back to where he was when he won the Cy Young [in 2015], then you have two great starters up front.”

After that?

“What comes after that is how [Nick] Pivetta is going to perform or [Jerad] Eickhoff or [Zach] Eflin, to be able to pick that up as well as your bullpen and getting to the tail end of your bullpen closing games, because that is where they had a lot of problem in the past, was closing games out.”

One technicality: Eickhoff won’t start the season in the rotation after being optioned last week to triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he is expected to be a contributor sometime this year.

So starting and finishing games is the key for the Phillies’ success, Howard said: "They have always been in some games, but it is just a matter of being able to finish games and I think if they can figure that out, then they are going to be just fine.”

Howard last played in the majors in 2016 with the Phillies. He hit 382 home runs in 13 seasons. After his time in Philadelphia, he had triple-A stints with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies in 2017. He officially announced his retirement from baseball last September.

Howard also spent two days as a guest analyst in January for MLB Network, and did a few television appearances on ESPN before being hired. He was asked, why ESPN?

“Why not ESPN?” he said. “It is the greatest place to be, man. The opportunities presented themselves, being able to do stuff on other shows. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at ESPN and feelings were mutual, and here we are.”

Howard said he had great baseball broadcasting role models, both growing up and when he was with the Phillies.

“I grew up in St. Louis and got to listen to Jack Buck with the Cards," he said. “Playing in Philadelphia, I got to have Harry Kalas calling games. It is tough to try to measure up to what those guys did.”

So his philosophy will be simple: “Try to take little tidbits and try to be yourself and have fun with it,” he said.

Howard said his goal was to remain connected to the game, and his new job will certainly afford him the opportunity.

“It is something I have always grown up with, playing baseball, and I always loved baseball and always wanted to continue to be part of it,” he said. “So, this is another avenue for me to be able to do that and I am thoroughly excited about the opportunity.”

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