If you are trying to find a player that really jumped onto the scene in 2006 you do not have to look any further than the Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard. Howard has been nothing short of spectacular from his first base position, and it appears that he has plenty of good years ahead of him. Howard has already become one of the best players in the league, and he is only 25 years old. Not only does Howard have a great glove at first base, but he can also take care of business when it comes to hitting the ball as well.

At this point in time Howard is batting .294; not bad for a guy of his age. But this does not even show his power numbers. Howard has 47 home runs, as well as 122 runs batted in; talk about power! If he keeps up this pace he will easily finish the season with over 50 blasts, and 150 runs batted in. It is safe to say that any team in the league would be interested in having Howard play first base for them, and quite possibly bat clean up.

If the Phillies want to continue to build for the future, they will need to keep Howard in Philadelphia. He is one of the best young players in the league, and he has plenty of good years still ahead of him. The bottom line is that Howard not only gets the job done in the field, but he also excels at the plate as well.