Phillies: 10 players to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
By Matt Rappa
5. Rhys Hoskins
First baseman Rhys Hoskins has quietly become a staple in the Phillies offense, now four seasons through his big-league career. While he has yet to find as much success as he had as a rookie — slugging 18 home runs and 48 RBI through just 50 games en route to a fourth-place Rookie of the Year Award finish — Hoskins is still a power bat that complements Bryce Harper well in the starting lineup.
Through 404 career games and 1,762 plate appearances, Hoskins has slugged 87 doubles, five triples, 91 home runs, and 255 RBI, along with 269 walks. In 2019, the Sacramento, California, native led the National League with 116 walks; Hoskins slashed just .226/.364/.454 that year, but bounced back in 2020 with a .245/.384/.503 slash line, along with 10 homers and 26 RBI through 41 games and 185 plate appearances.
Hoskins is bound for a career year sooner or later; perhaps we will see the best out of him to date in 2021.
4. Spencer Howard
The top pitching prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, right-handed starter Spencer Howard had a disappointing rookie showing in 2020 — going 1-2 with a 5.92 ERA in six starts. However, these starts are only a small sample size in what should be a lengthy, successful career in the majors.
Howard did strike out 23 batters and walked just 10, however, a promising sign as he will return for his first full season in the rotation alongside Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin.
Combined in 2019, Howard went 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA in the minors, striking out 94 batters while walking 16 spanning 15 starts and 71 innings. If he can translate that successful year into the majors in 2021, he will surely be on his way to at least the No. 3 spot in the rotation behind Nola and Wheeler.