29-year old lefty swinging 1B Ryan Howard is looking to better his 2008 season in 2009. He played in 162 games for the Phillies last season and he was 153 for 610 (.251 avg, .882 OPS) with 105 runs scored, 48 homers and 146 RBIs. But, Howard still does have some weaknesses as he whiffed 199 times last season and he made 19 errors in 159 games at first base. Still, the Phillies are more than willing to suffer with Howard’s warts as long as he continues to supply amazing power. In the last three seasons, Howard has averaged a staggering 101 runs scored, 51 homers and 143.7 RBIs! It will be interesting to see if Howard can keep up this stunning production and I’m betting that he will.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON: A