Myrtle Beach's Rising Star

May 7, 2021 by Sam Weiderhaft

“It feels real, I missed baseball. I’m so excited it’s back with the fans.”

Before he became the first shortstop selected in the 2020 MLB Draft, Ed Howard threw the final pitch of the U.S. Championship Game in the 2014 Little League World Series for Jackie Robinson West. From a young age, the Evergreen Park, IL native was put in the spotlight. Now, the crowds will follow the highly-touted prospect to Myrtle Beach.

“I like the area, it looks nice. I can’t wait to explore the beach,” Howard said about his new home for the summer.

Howard was the highest-drafted high school signing by the Cubs when they selected him 16th overall in last season’s draft since Albert Almora Jr. in 2012, and the numbers say enough to explain this rare pick. Howard’s bat exploded in his junior year at Mt. Carmel High School when he hit .419, with 36 hits and 29 RBIs, only to have his senior year canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, the Cubs had seen enough from his little league days to several prospect camps along the way to select the then 18-year-old with their first-round pick.

“It honestly didn’t set in on me until a few days later,” Howard, the former White Sox fan, said about being drafted by his other hometown team. “I just sat back and embraced it.”

Normally, a prospect taken that high would head straight to a lower division of the minors. But with the 2020 Minor League Baseball season being canceled, Howard had to rely on self-improvement through his own techniques.

“Just a lot of cage work and taking ground balls, I was constantly working, perfecting my craft, and just being myself,” Howard explained. “I grew and changed a lot, and added a lot more strength.”

Now, fans at Pelicans Ballpark will get to catch a glimpse of this budding superstar as his spotlight moves to the beach for his first summer of professional baseball. Howard showed his dazzling ability in Charleston on opening night, with a leaping catch at shortstop in just the second inning.

“Hearing my name announced for the starting lineup was surreal, it felt great to go out and play,” Howard remarked.

In Myrtle Beach, the young shortstop will learn from one of the game’s legends, Pelicans’ manager Buddy Bailey. In 33 seasons managing minor league baseball, Bailey has collected over 2,000 wins, one of just 11 minor league baseball managers to accomplish that feat.

“He’s a guy I can learn a lot from,” Howard said. “He teaches you how to be a professional, and how to carry yourself.”

For his summer on the Grand Strand, Howard said he’s mainly just focused on getting more experience on the field.

“It’s really just straight development for me. Not a lot of goals right now, just continuing to play games and get

experience.”

The Chicago Cubs faithful are rightfully excited about Howard, he was ranked the fourth best prospect in the entire Cubs’ organization by Baseball America, and the buzz is already circling around number eight. Myrtle Beach baseball fans will have a unique opportunity this summer to catch one of the game’s rising stars in his developmental stages.