Phillies star first basemen Ryan Howard has won his arbitration hearing, being awarded the $10 million he was asking for. Philadelphia was asking for $7 million.
Howard was the first player to win the arbitration this year, with the other five cases siding with the teams. The $10 million award to Howard ties the record for arbitration. Alfonso Soriano also got $10 million two years ago, although he was looking for $12 million and lost his case.
Howard, 28, hit .268 and 47 homers in 144 games last season. While his average had dipped, his 47 homers in 529 at bats show that he still has 50 HR power when given a full season. He is also only entering his third full year in the majors and can grow at the plate.
