Ryan Howard Officially Retires From Majors

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ryan Howard has officially retired nearly two years after he last played in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 2006 NL MVP spent 13 seasons with the Phillies and helped them win five division titles and the 2008 World Series. He hit 382 homers and had 1,194 RBIs with a .258 career average.

The 38-year-old Howard made his announcement in an article for The Players' Tribune on Tuesday.

After becoming a free agent following the 2016 season, Howard played briefly in Triple-A for affiliates of the Braves and Rockies in 2017.

The slugging first baseman Howard was a three-time NL All-Star, the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year and was runner up in MVP voting in 2008. He hit three home runs in the 2008 World Series when the Phillies beat Tampa Bay.