Ryan Howard developed into an MVP at Reading

Ryan Howard won Eastern League MVP in 2004 (Photo courtesy of the Reading Fightin Phils)Before any of the late-season heroics or World Series glory, Ryan Howard was blocked.

Buried on the depth chart in an organization with an All-Star first baseman at the major-league level, the 2001 fifth-round pick spent his first few seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies system with no clear road to the bigs. That was the case until 2004, when Howard took Double-A by storm and completely changed the course of his career — and the Phillies franchise.

He was a productive hitter at the Single-A levels early in his professional career, posting OPS marks in the .800s in each of his first three seasons. However,…