Ben Howard

Howard continued to frustrate the organization in 2003. A power pitcher with three pitches, he can get it up into the upper-90s without effort, but is unable to maintain control, and the resulting strikeouts are meager versus the stuff. A third year in Triple-A Portland looks to be in the cards as the organization again attempts to find the key to unlock the talent.

Drafted out of high school in 1997, Howard has always had the ability to dominate opposing hitters. He just can’t seem to throw the ball over the plate with any sort of prolonged consistency. An elbow strain landed him on the DL in 2002 and probably contributed to a drop in velocity, making him entirely hittable. Howard is a good bet to put the struggles of the past behind him and make a run at a big league job this summer. The Padres have several high-ceiling pitching prospects in the minors, so Howard’s fits of control will ultimately determine how much of a future he has with the Friars.