Ryan Howard
| AB | 1700 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .268 |
| OBP | .317 |
| SLG | .37 |
| HR | 26 |
- Full name Ryan Avery Howard
- Born 07/25/1994 in St. Peters, MO
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Missouri
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Drafted in the 5th round (155th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2016 (signed for $250,000).
View Draft Report
As a draft-eligible sophomore last season, Howard slid to the 31st round (Giants) because teams expected him to head back to school, but also because he was considered the seventh-best shortstop in the Southeastern Conference--there were a lot of potentially better options. A year later, Howard is pretty much the same prospect having the same statistical season, but in a much thinner shortstop class, he's now one of the better college shortstops in the draft class. The shortstop on USA Baseball's collegiate national team last summer, Howard may have to move off the position as a pro as he's an average runner with modest short-area quickness. His range is fringe-average at best but he does make the plays on the balls he reaches and he has an above-average arm. At the plate Howard can handle velocity and his size (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) leads evaluators to believe he will add a little more power to the underwhelming 8-10 home run power he demonstrates now.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: A starting college shortstop in the Southeastern Conference, Howard was drafted in the 31st round as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2015 but chose to return to Missouri for his junior season. One year later, he raised his stock enough for the Giants to draft him with a fifth-round pick.
Scouting Report: Much like fellow Giants' infielder Abiatal Avelino, Howard is capable defender whose below-average power likely pushes him into a utility role in the future. Howard is an average hitter--he's improved his walk rate and decreased his strikeout rate over the past two seasons--but unlike Avelino, Howard isn't capable of playing an everyday shortstop in the majors. A below-average runner with limited range, Howard is an above-average second or third baseman with an average arm.
The Future: Howard is slated for Triple-A Sacramento in 2019. He's behind Avelino in the race to be the Giants' next utility infielder, but most evaluators believe Howard will be in the big leagues soon. -
The 2016 draft class was rather thin on college shortstops, but Howard had one of the longest track records of success. He was Team USA's shortstop and a three-year starter at Missouri. That experience has paid off in pro ball. He handled the jump to high Class A San Jose in 2017 with few issues. Howard is one of a number of Giants middle infield prospects who does enough things adequately to have a big league career but lacks the carrying tools scouts look for in a future first-division regular. He's an average defender at shortstop with good instincts, but lacks the body control and quickness to ever be described as rangy. His above-average arm plays well at shortstop and he can handle third as well (where he played sporadically for San Jose). At the plate, Howard puts together professional at-bats and projects as a .250-.260 hitter, but with just 5-10 home runs a year. Most scouts see Howard as a second-division regular or utility infielder. He's not going to unseat Brandon Crawford, but as he heads to Double-A, Howard has a good shot at a big league future.
Draft Prospects
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As a draft-eligible sophomore last season, Howard slid to the 31st round (Giants) because teams expected him to head back to school, but also because he was considered the seventh-best shortstop in the Southeastern Conference--there were a lot of potentially better options. A year later, Howard is pretty much the same prospect having the same statistical season, but in a much thinner shortstop class, he's now one of the better college shortstops in the draft class. The shortstop on USA Baseball's collegiate national team last summer, Howard may have to move off the position as a pro as he's an average runner with modest short-area quickness. His range is fringe-average at best but he does make the plays on the balls he reaches and he has an above-average arm. At the plate Howard can handle velocity and his size (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) leads evaluators to believe he will add a little more power to the underwhelming 8-10 home run power he demonstrates now.
