It’s about that time of year for San Diego Studio’s MLB The Show to release, and a familiar face will be making his way back into the game. Phillies legend Ryan Howard will be back in The Show in 2022, officially as a “legend”.

MLB The Show releases a new game every year, and with that comes new player cards. In the game, each current player has their own card with their specific stats based on their abilities on the field. Among the current players, hundreds of all-time legends are in the game as well, with cards highlighting their best seasons in the pros as “limited edition”.

Ryan Howard’s return was shown in MLB The Show’s new preview, along with pitcher Randy Johnson. Howard’s first card will most likely come from 2006, his MVP season, and the best season of his career. Ryan Howard was previously on the cover of MLB The Show, all the way back in 2008.

Throughout that 2006 season, Howard slashed 58 home runs, 149 RBIs, and was just three games short of playing a full 162-game season. He hit .313/.425/.659, good for an OPS of 1.084. Howard was also voted an NL All-Star that year, along with the Silver Slugger Award. 

Howard’s legend card in MLB The Show is well overdue. The Big Piece played 13 seasons in the MLB, all with the Phillies. He tallied 382 HRs, over 1,100 RBIs, 1,475 hits, and a career OPS of .859 in Philadelphia. He was one of the three members of the “infield trio” for the magical 07-11 run for the Phillies, and was truly one of the best hitters I have ever seen with my own eyes. 

Along with his legendary stats, his hardware case is almost more impressive. Howard collected one MVP award, a Rookie of the Year award, was a 3x All-Star, a Home Run Derby champ, a World Series Champion, and a Silver Slugger winner.

Read more: Mike Schmidt lands in ESPN.com’s Top 20 MLB Players of All-Time

Ryan Howard will join multiple Phillies legends already in the game, including Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Jimmy Rollins, Richie Ashburn, and more. 

MLB The Show is set to release on April 5th, 2022. Shohei Ohtani will be taking the cover this year, after his unanimous MVP 2021 season. 

Mandatory Credit: Icon SMI