Ryan Howard

If you look up powerhouse in the dictionary, chances are a picture of Ryan Howard won't be to far away.

If you look up all-or-nothing on google, chances are Ryan Howard's picture will quickly appear on your screen.

It's no secret that Ryan Howard drives in runs like they're going out of style.

It's also no secret that he comes up empty more often than any other big league hitter.

As the later portions of Ryan Howard's new 5 year, $125 million contract near, the latter will likely overtake the former.

Ryan Howard is a big boy, to say the least.

Hours before the Philadelphia Phillies failed to make the necessary plays in a 5-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, they made one huge play off the field.

The Phillies announced they had locked up slugger Ryan Howard to a five-year, $125 million contract extension that could keep the All-Star first baseman in Philadelphia through 2017.

The contract runs through 2016, with a club option for 2017 that could raise the value of the deal to $138 million.

Ryan Howard, arguably the face of the Philadelphia Phillies franchise, is now—on average—the second highest-paid player in the MLB, next to New York Yankees third baseman and arguably the game’s greatest, Alex Rodriguez.

Is Howard worth a guaranteed $25 million a season?

The numbers suggest yes.

This series is devoted to spotlighting each week’s top fantasy producers. Each player awarded a position is determined by their statistics for the last seven days. Game changing contributions are also considered.

Top Stat Stars

When the Phils lose, don’t get down. I’ve found that a really fun way to pass the time is to go to the pet shop, find a big cage of mice, and watch them fight for position on their wheel. Seriously. It’s hysterical. It doesn’t even take mind-altering drugs to enjoy a curious mouse getting damn near decapitated by an ambitious team on a wheel.

The Phillies made a valiant attempt to defend their championship last season, but came up shy as they eventually fell to the Yankees in the World Series. Nonetheless, the loss to the Bronx Bombers should not diminish the club’s accomplishments during the season—an NL East title (with a 93-69 record) and a second straight National League pennant.

Every year, baseball fans all across the country do the same thing: We all make predictions. While most people just let their predictions come out vocally, I have decided to post mine on here for the entire world to see.

My goal is to come back to this article at the end of the season and see how I have done. Right now, I am predicting that at least 20 of my predictions will come true.

So Battle of the Blogs Fantasy Baseball League had its draft last night. My team, Double G Sports , had the sixth pick in the first round—and each round after that was done in a snake format.

Every year as a Phillies fan, I’ve grown accustomed to saying “wait until next year.”

Next year we’ll pick up a big-name player in free agency. We’ll overtake the Braves or Mets in the division race. We’ll get a couple of good breaks, stay healthy all season, and win it all.

Guess what?

It happened.

An ESPN report over the weekend stated that the Philadelphia Phillies talked internally about the possibility of shipping first baseman Ryan Howard to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman Albert Pujols.

Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro told espn.com, "I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie."

Howard is hugely popular in Philadelphia, but Pujols is a God in St. Louis.

For baseball fans, it is a fun thing to consider. Fans in both cities, however, think the deal would be crazy. Especially in St. Louis.