Sam Howard

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2014
R+:  1-3-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 53.1 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

Colorado started Howard off in advanced rookie ball, where he pitched mainly as a starter.  That’s not a very high level for a third round draftee out of college, but he got hit hard, with opponents batting .333 against him.  Baseball America still ranked him 24th in the Rockies’ system.

2015
A:  11-9-0, 3.43 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 134.0 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 8.2 K/9

Howard moved up to full-season ball and had more success, holding opponents to a 252/297/356 batting line.  He had a reverse platoon split.  BA ranked him 25th in the system after the season.

2016
A+:  4-3-0, 2.47 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 65.2 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 10.0 K/9
AA:  5-6-0, 3.99 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 90.1 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 6.7 K/9

Howard had a strong first half in the hitting-happy California League, including a high K rate.  He had more trouble in AA, with opponents hitting .303 against him there.  BA moved him up to 18th in the system.

2017
AA:  1-4-0, 2.33 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 46.1 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 7.8 K/9
AAA:  4-4-0, 3.89 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 81.0 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

Howard made one start in AAA, then went back to AA until mid-June, when he moved back up.  He pitched dramatically better in AA and reasonably well in AAA, considering it was the Pacific Coast League.  He had some control issues for the first time.  He once again had a reverse platoon split.  BA ranked him 11th in the Rockies’ system after the season and Colorado added him to the 40-man roster.

2018
AAA:  3-8-0, 5.06 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 96.0 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.5 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 2.25 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 2.3 K/9

The Rockies sent Howard back to AAA, where he didn’t pitch quite as well.  The Rockies called him up in June and he made one relief appearance, then three more in September.  He again had a reverse platoon split.  After the season, Colorado removed him from the roster and he re-signed with them on a minor league deal.

2019
AAA:  4-1-1, 3.91 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 50.2 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 11.0 K/9
MLB:  2-0-0, 6.63 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 19.0 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 10.9 K/9

Howard opened the season back in AAA, this time pitching in relief.  He didn’t dominate but was reasonably effective, considering it was the Pacific Coast League in a season in which offenses exploded throughout AAA.  The Rockies called him up in July, optioned him for a couple weeks in August, then brought him back late in the month.  He ended up getting into 20 games with them, all in relief.  At both levels he missed a lot more bats, but in the majors he was plagued by walks and gopher balls, giving up better than one of the latter every four innings.  He had an extreme reverse platoon split, yet the Rockies for some reason used him partially as a lefty specialist.  After the season the Rockies waived Howard and the Pirates claimed him.

Howard was the Pirates’ first acquisition after the firing of GM Neal Huntington, although it’s possible Huntington put in the waiver claim before he was fired.  Howard closely resembled the many reliever additions that Huntington made during the 2019 season in that he was never a top prospect, pitched very poorly in his major league time, and was cast adrift by a team in need of pitching help.  He has two options left, although the Pirates could still try to get him through waivers in the off-season.  Hopefully, with the change in management they’ll start setting their sights higher.