Spencer Lee Howard (born July 28, 1996) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
for the
Texas Rangers of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
(MLB). He previously played in MLB for the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...
.
Howard was born in
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly h ...
and raised in
Templeton, California
Templeton is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California. The population was 7,674 at the 2010 census, up from 4,687 at the 2000 census.
Geography and climate
Geography
Templeton is located at (35.553847, −120.7 ...
. A multi-sport athlete at
Templeton High School, he considered quitting the baseball team to focus on volleyball, but was persuaded to stay by the coach. He received no scholarship offers to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
, but made the
Cal Poly Mustangs baseball
The Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team represents California Polytechnic State University, which is located in San Luis Obispo, California. The Mustangs are an NCAA Division I college baseball program, and along with the other Cal Poly athletic t ...
team after a fall tryout. Howard was a
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
during his freshman year, taking the season to build his strength and pitch velocity. He further improved his pitching during two seasons of
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...
with the
Bellingham Bells
The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League.
The team is composed of college baseball players from teams around the U.S. In recent years, the Bells have produced a number of Major League players includin ...
of the
West Coast League
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCC ...
, and by his junior year in 2017, Howard served as a starting pitcher for the Mustangs.
The Phillies selected Howard in the second round of the
2017 MLB Draft, and he spent the season with the
Class A Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. From 1994 to 2020, they were ...
, working on his pitching mechanics. In 2018, he was assigned to the
Class A Lakewood BlueClaws
The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locati ...
, with whom he pitched the first postseason
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher w ...
in franchise history. Howard missed two months of the 2018 season due to a shoulder injury, and played in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fi ...
to make up for the time he missed. After working his way up to
Double-A in 2019, Howard was one of several Phillies
prospects who began the
pandemic-shortened 2020 season at an alternate training site, preparing for a major-league call-up. He made his MLB debut that season, but a recurrence of the shoulder injury limited his output. Since his major league debut, Howard has struggled with maintaining his pitch velocity into the later innings of a game, and in 2021, he was paired with
long reliever
A long reliever or long-relief pitcher is a relief pitcher in baseball who enters the game if the starting pitcher leaves the game early.
Long relievers often enter in the first three innings of a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, w ...
Ranger Suárez for his scheduled starts. Howard was part of a
trading deadline deal in 2021 that sent him to the Rangers in exchange for
Kyle Gibson and
Ian Kennedy
Ian Patrick Kennedy (born December 19, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, ...
.
Howard uses four pitches on the mound In addition to his staple
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have t ...
, which averages around , he alternates a
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
,
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* S ...
, and
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curv ...
as his off-speed pitches. Howard has struggled in the major leagues with maintaining his pitch velocity long into games, an issue that has been traced back to his shoulder injury from 2018.
Early life
Spencer Lee Howard was born on July 28, 1996, in
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly h ...
.
He grew up in nearby
Templeton, California
Templeton is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California. The population was 7,674 at the 2010 census, up from 4,687 at the 2000 census.
Geography and climate
Geography
Templeton is located at (35.553847, −120.7 ...
, and was a multi-sport athlete at
Templeton High School, playing baseball, volleyball, soccer, and
Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate, originally known as ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a frisbee flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by AJ Gator in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate resembles many traditional sports in its ath ...
. Baseball was not Howard's athletic priority; he almost quit the team during his junior year in order to pursue volleyball, and he did not play on private
travel teams like many other high school baseball players seeking to break into professional leagues. After being persuaded by his coach to remain on the baseball team, Howard helped take Templeton to the
Los Padres League championship as a junior in 2014.
At Templeton, Howard served as both a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
and an
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
. During his senior season, Howard posted a 7–3
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
, with a 2.20
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...
(ERA), and he
struck out 87 batters in
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...
. As a hitter, he also maintained a .306
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average i ...
. At the end of the year, he was named both the
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo.
Junípero Serra founded the Missio ...
Player of the Year and the Los Padres League Most Valuable Player.
College career
Having not received any
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholarsh ...
offers to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
, Howard chose to attend
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...
(Cal Poly) and major in business.
In August 2015, before arriving at Cal Poly, Howard contacted the
Mustangs baseball program and said that he was interested in playing for them. He impressed coaches at a fall tryout camp, pitching up to , and was one of 35 players named to the team. Howard chose to
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
his freshman year in order to put on more muscle mass. He took up a yoga-based athletic program, gained , and improved his
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have t ...
speed from to above .
The summer after his freshman year of college, Howard played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...
with the
Bellingham Bells
The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League.
The team is composed of college baseball players from teams around the U.S. In recent years, the Bells have produced a number of Major League players includin ...
of the
West Coast League
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCC ...
. Under the supervision of
pitching coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...
Jim Clem, he spent the summer diversifying his pitching repertoire with a new
breaking ball
In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the batter; it will have sideways or downward motion on it, sometimes both (see slider). A breaking ball is not a specific pitch by that name, but is any p ...
and
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
.
Playing as a redshirt freshman in 2016, Howard served as a
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...
for the Mustangs, where he posted a 3–1 record and a 2.95 ERA, striking out 39 batters in innings. Howard also recorded one
save.
In his 21 season appearances, Howard averaged more than 9.5
strikeouts per nine innings pitched
In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the numb ...
.
Howard returned to Bellingham for another season of summer baseball in 2016. Most of his work with Clem that summer was in building his strength, in the hopes that he would become a starting pitcher.
After a member of the Cal Poly
starting rotation
R
rabbit ears
:Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
suffered an injury, Howard was called to fill in as a starting pitcher for the 2017 season. Partway through his redshirt sophomore season,
Fangraphs named Howard the top overall draft-eligible pitcher, as well as the top starter, in the
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
.
He went 8–1 that season in 17 games, 12 of which were
starts, with a 2.05 ERA and 97 strikeouts in innings.
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
ranked Howard the 99th-best prospect in his draft class, while ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form ...
'' ranked him 137th.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues (2017–2019)
The
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
(MLB) selected Howard in the second round, 45th overall, of the
2017 MLB Draft. He was the third-highest draft pick in Cal Poly history, and the highest that year. Howard signed with the team that June for a $1.15 million
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. Howard bypassed the
Rookie League, being assigned to the
Class A Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. From 1994 to 2020, they were ...
of the
New York–Penn League
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
. In his first season of professional baseball, Howard put up a 1–1 record with a 4.45 ERA and 40 strikeouts in innings over nine starts.
Williamsport pitching coach Hector Berrios spent the season improving Howard's pitching mechanics, making him and the rest of the rotation focus on the lower half of his body, a move which helped to stabilize Howard's velocity and preserve the health of his arm after each start.
Howard spent the entire 2018 season with the
Class A Lakewood BlueClaws
The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locati ...
of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
, where he earned Pitcher of the Week honors twice.
On June 30, Howard recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in six
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
innings against the
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home ga ...
. He told reporters that the game was "the first time all year that all my stuff has been synced up and I've been able to command all four of my pitches". Two starts later, Howard pitched his first
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pit ...
in a 4–1 win over the
Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differe ...
.
He pitched 112 innings for the BlueClaws in 2018, posting a 3.78 ERA in 23 starts and striking out 147 batters. On September 7, 2018, Howard pitched the first postseason
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher w ...
in BlueClaws history, striking out nine batters in the semifinal championship series against the
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and play their home games at Atrium Health Ballpark. The t ...
and advancing the BlueClaws to the South Atlantic League championships. For his no-hitter, Howard received a
Minor League Baseball Yearly Award for Top Performance.
The following season, Howard was assigned to the
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 20 ...
of the
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A follow ...
. He achieved another career-high strikeout performance on April 23, recording 11 in a 1–0 win against the
Florida Fire Frogs. He missed two months of the season with shoulder soreness, returning to Clearwater on July 9, 2019, for four shutout innings against the
Palm Beach Cardinals
The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...
. At the end of July, Howard was promoted to the
Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils
The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Re ...
of the
Eastern League.
He went 3–1 for the season, posting a 2.03 ERA and striking out 94 batters in 71 innings with Clearwater, Reading, and a pair of rehab appearances with the
GCL Phillies.
At the end of the season, Howard was named a Phillies Organization All-Star.
After the season, Howard was one of six Phillies prospects assigned to the
Scottsdale Scorpions
The Scottsdale Scorpions are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Scottsdale Stadium, which is also the spring training facility of the San Francisco G ...
of the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fi ...
. He planned to use the league to build his pitching time and make up for the two months that were missed due to a shoulder injury, while working on some of his newer pitches. In six fall league starts, Howard posted a 1–1 record and a 2.11 ERA, striking out 27 batters in innings of work.
Philadelphia Phillies (2020–2021)
On June 30, 2020,
Minor League Baseball chose to cancel its 2020 season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. Several Phillies prospects, including Howard, began the pandemic-shortened season by practicing at an alternate training site in
Allentown, Pennsylvania. The decision not to include Howard on the
opening day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
roster was motivated both by a desire to see his pitching control and for contractual reasons; by waiting at least five days into the season to promote him to the major leagues, the Phillies maintained control of Howard's contract through the 2026 season. Howard made his major league debut on August 9, 2020, starting on the mound for the second game of a
doubleheader against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
. He struck out four batters in innings, but allowed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, and the Braves won the game 8–0. His first career win came on August 31, when he pitched five innings of an 8–6 victory over the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...
, striking out sluggers
Trea Turner
Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Turner pla ...
and
Juan Soto
Juan José Soto Pacheco (born October 25, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals.
Soto signed with the Nation ...
in the process. Despite leaving a September 12 start with more shoulder pain, Howard was included on the Phillies' 40-man roster on September 20. Howard pitched only innings in his rookie season, and posted a 5.92 ERA, allowing 30
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...
and six
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...
s while striking out 23 batters.
Howard's limited performance in 2020 led to the offseason acquisitions of
Matt Moore and
Chase Anderson as back-of-the-rotation starters for the Phillies in 2021.
Howard, meanwhile, was assigned to the
Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in th ...
at the start of the season in order to build his arm strength. Continued issues with Anderson's pitch control and inability to consistently record outs pushed the pitcher to the
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
on May 21, with Howard called up to fill his place in the starting rotation. Howard struggled with stamina in his first two season starts, with his fastball velocity dropping over the course of the first few innings. Both times,
Ranger Suárez was called to the mound to provide
long relief
A long reliever or long-relief pitcher is a relief pitcher in baseball who enters the game if the starting pitcher leaves the game early.
Long relievers often enter in the first three innings of a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, w ...
, and manager
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and St. ...
told reporters that he planned on utilizing the two pitchers together for the remainder of the season, with Suárez providing relief as Howard continued to build strength and experience. On June 29, after five starts of 68 or fewer pitches each, the Phillies optioned Howard to Lehigh Valley. He was called back up for a July 22 start against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
after
Zach Eflin suffered a knee injury and
Bailey Falter was placed on COVID-19 protocols. He pitched three innings on short rest and maintained his velocity on both a fastball and slider throughout the appearance. After leaving the team, Howard referred to his time in Philadelphia as like "trying to polish a turd", contrasting the Phillies' immediate desire to win games with the more long-term pitching development that he had required at the time.
Texas Rangers (2021–present)
On July 30, 2021, the Phillies traded Howard,
Kevin Gowdy
Kevin R. Gowdy (born November 16, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He attended Santa Barbara High School in Santa Barbara, California and was considered a top prospect for the 2016 MLB d ...
, and Josh Gessner to the
Texas Rangers in exchange for
Kyle Gibson,
Ian Kennedy
Ian Patrick Kennedy (born December 19, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, ...
, and
Hans Crouse. The Rangers coaching staff hoped to transition Howard into a full-time major-league starting pitcher, in contrast to Philadelphia, where he had bounced between the major and minor leagues, as well as between the rotation and the bullpen. In his Texas debut, Howard lasted two no-hit innings before allowing three runs in the third inning. He was taken out of the game after allowing his fourth base runner, and the Rangers lost to the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
5–0. Howard's difficulties with consistency and pitch delivery in later innings, as well as a drop in velocity, followed him in Texas, and he finished his first full major league season with an 0–5 record and a 7.43 ERA in 19 games, striking out 52 batters in innings.
Howard beat
A. J. Alexy and
Glenn Otto in spring training to become the Rangers' fifth starter for the 2022 season. He suffered a blister and cracked fingernail shortly into the season and was placed on the injured list on April 11.
Pitcher profile
Howard has carried a four-pitch repertoire throughout his professional career. His pitching is rooted in a
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have t ...
, with a
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
,
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* S ...
, and
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curv ...
acting as off-speed pitches. In 2018, when one particular pitch was struggling to land during a game, Howard would retire it for the rest of the game and focus on the others; a goal that he set in 2019 was to maintain all four pitches throughout an outing. Howard's fastball has averaged during the 2021 season, while his changeup averages , his slider , and his curveball at .
There have been concerns about Howard's long-term health and ability to pitch deep into games. As a rookie in 2020, Howard lost between spring training and the start of the pandemic-abbreviated season, and his irregular practice in the spring and summer led to a loss of strength and stamina. His average fastball velocity dropped from in the first inning to in the fifth, with batters hitting more effectively against the slower pitches. A recurring shoulder injury has also limited Howard's long-term effectiveness. The most he has ever pitched in a season has been 112 innings in 2018; shoulder problems limited his 2019 season to innings, while a combination of injury and the COVID-19 pandemic shortened his 2020 season down to .
During the 2020–21 offseason, Howard pursued
physical therapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patie ...
to prevent a recurrence of the injury, while making changes to his pitching mechanics, particularly in his hips, that were aimed to limit the damage.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Spencer
1996 births
Living people
Baseball players from California
Cal Poly Mustangs baseball players
Clearwater Threshers players
Florida Complex League Phillies players
Lakewood BlueClaws players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players
Major League Baseball pitchers
People from San Luis Obispo, California
Philadelphia Phillies players
Reading Fightin Phils players
Round Rock Express players
Scottsdale Scorpions players
Texas Rangers players
United States national baseball team players
Williamsport Crosscutters players