Ryan Howard, MLB Baseball Player of the Week

Corey Rudd Monday, July 19, 2010 Baseball

Ryan Howard may have been handed the starting DH role in last week's MLB All-Star Game. Many could argue that there were plenty of others that were more deserving.

But once again, true to form, Ryan Howard has started the second half of the season on fire and has been named this weeks ManSpeak MLB Baseball Player of the Week.

Howard finished a 4 game series at Wrigley Field in Chicago 6 for 15, good for a .400 average. Howard blasted 4 dingers and knocked in 8 runs while drawing 2 walks. Most outstanding is his 1.674 OPS. Many players tear up Cubs pitching, but few have the 4 games Howard did.

It really shouldn't be a surprise. Howard is notoriously a second half player and won an MVP award in 2006 by slugging the Phillies into the playoffs.

Howard really has improved his overall game during the first half of the 2010 MLB season. Howard is hitting .298 on the season, which is well above his lifetime average of .281.

Howard has also cut down on his strikeouts this season, with only 89 K's year to date. This seems like a large number, but when you compare it to 2008 when Howard whiffed 199 times, this actually is quite impressive.

If Philadelphia wants to make the playoffs this year, they'll need Howard to be every bit as good as he was in 2006 and hit with power as he traditionally does throughout the second half of seasons. People may forget he got the nod over the mid-season favorite Joey Votto if Philadelphia is playing in October.