You know the farm system I talked about in my last post? You know who is a product of it? It's Rhys Hoskins, the first baseman who had a wild ride during the 2022 postseason. Rhys Dean Hoskins, also known as by his teammates Big Fella, was signed in the fifth round (#142 overall) by the Phillies in the June 2014 draft. Hoskins, a player for the Sacramento State Hornets in college, was signed and sent to the Williamsport Crosscutters for the remainder of the season.
Minor League Career
Because MLB redid the minor league system in 2021, Rhys had a different journey within the farm system. After playing for the Crosscutters in 2014, Hoskins was sent to Clearwater for the 2015 season. After the 2015 season, having played for the Clearwater Threshers, Hoskins had momentum and wanted to play throughout the winter. The Phillies sent him to Australia to join the Sydney Blue Sox. He had a .323 batting average in Australia, with eight home runs in 42 games.
Once he returned to the states, he was promoted to the Reading Fightin' Phils. His time in Australia paid off as, after the 2016 season, he was named the minor league Player of the Year. In spring 2017, he was invited to the Philadelphia Phillies' spring training camp in Clearwater. Although he did not make the big-league roster then, he was promoted to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Hoskins played for the Pigs until early August when he got “the call.”
Standout Rookie
On August 10, 2017, Rhys got his call to join the Phillies. With Philadelphia's outfielder, Aaron Altherr injured, Hoskins had prepped for a call-up. In his first game later that day, he went 0-2 with a walk. On August 13, Hoskins had his first major league RBI and hit. In the next game, Hoskins hit his first major league home run – and his second. From that day on, Hoskins was a force to be reckoned with. August 26 was a record-breaking game for Hoskins. By that time he had hit a home run on seven consecutive days and was the fastest player in MLB history to reach ten home runs (it took 17 games). Hoskins continued to make history as he also turned a triple play from the outfield. The 11 home runs in August were the most by a Phillies rookie, earning him the Rookie of the Month title.
Hoskins was also the fastest player to hit 12 home runs (24 games) and 18 home runs (145 plate appearances), and accumulate 45 RBIs (which surpassed Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams). He had a slugging percentage of .911 and an OPS of 1.403, which were the highest in the entire Major League. Being in the outfield, which is not his natural position, was not an issue for Hoskins. His stat line at the end of the 2017 season was .259/.396/.618 with 18 home runs, all within 170 at-bats. His 18 home runs are the most by any player with an August debut or later. Hoskins finished 4th in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Major League Career
After his standout rookie season, Rhys continued to play in the big leagues. On May 31, 2018, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken jaw. He was back ten days later and, on June 27, he was the fastest player in Phillies history to reach 30 home runs, and on July 3, he was the quickest player in Phillies history to reach 100 RBIs. That year he also entered the home run derby as the 8th seed. He won his first matchup against #1 seed Jesus Aguilar but was eliminated in the second round by future teammate Kyle Schwarber. Rhys had good and bad stretches during his time as a Phillie.
The end of the shortened 2020 season was rough for Hoskins as he had an elbow sprain which led to Tommy John surgery on his left elbow during the off season. Exactly four years after his call to the big leagues, he was placed on the injured list with a strained groin. This injury kept him out for the rest of the 2021 season. He has since played normally and without any injuries. Hoskins's stat line for the 2022 season (not including the postseason) was a .246 batting average with 30 home runs and 79 RBIs. His career stat line is a .242 batting average, 148 home runs, and 405 RBIs.
His First Postseason – 2022
After a non-exciting two-game sweep, where the Phillies beat St. Louis, Hoskins was in a slump entering the National League Division Series against reigning champions, the Atlanta Braves. Hoskins scored a run in the 3rd inning of the first game, but he still was in a bit of a slump. Hoskins committed an error in the top of the third inning of the game when the teams came back to Philadelphia, but he redeemed himself and broke out of the slump with a three-run blast. He also dramatically flipped his bat as he headed to first base. Rhys singled later in Game 3 and started Game 4 with a single but was left stranded on base. He hit a single and earned an RBI later in the game; he then scored a run himself. The Phillies won the game, and the series, propelling them to the National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres.
During the NLCS Hoskins hit a solo home run in Game 2 and two 2-run home runs in Game 4. He continued to be hot as he hit another two-run blast in Game 5. This series was an excellent time for Hoskins to be hot. But, unfortunately, it didn't carry over to the World Series, as he only hit one home run (in Game 3) there. He batted an average of .159 in the postseason with 12 RBIs and six home runs.
Personal Life
Like many Phillies players, Hoskins has a charity close to his heart. His chosen cause is the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). He often attends MDA events in Philadelphia. He and his wife, Jayme, have been together since 2009. They were engaged in San Diego (right before the Phillies started a series against the Padres) on August 10, 2018. They married in Lake Tahoe on November 9, 2019. They have a cat, Missy, and a dog, Mae.
Comments