Editing Ryan Howard (section)

== Decline and Legacy ==

The Achilles injury Howard suffered on the final out of the 2011 NLDS loss to St. Louis became symbolic of the franchise's declining fortunes. His subsequent seasons, marked by diminished production and injuries that prevented sustained health, could not match the peaks his earlier career had established. The contract that had seemed appropriate in 2010 became burden as performance declined.<ref name="goldman"/>

His departure from Philadelphia in 2016 ended a career that had produced championships and records alongside the frustration of declining years. The home runs remain—382 total, 382 with the Phillies, both franchise records at his departure—along with memories of tape-measure shots and championship contributions that the difficult final seasons cannot erase. Howard represents both the heights Philadelphia baseball reached in the late 2000s and the challenge of sustaining excellence across career arcs.<ref name="westcott"/>