Phillies 2021 Spring Training Preview: Position Players

Rhys Hoskins

Let’s talk about one of the most interesting hitters on the Phillies this past season, Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins had maybe the weirdest season any player on the Phillies had this past season.

Before hitting his first home run against the Red Sox, Hoskins was in a terrible slump, with just a .691 OPS, the one great thing we could say is that he had a .408 OBP which at least made him somewhat playable during this stretch.

After that home run, Hoskins became a completely different player, bringing in a .991 OPS, while looking much better and comfortable at the plate in general.

To begin the season, fans were comparing him to a former bust in the Phillies farm system in Domonic Brown, and Hoskins at the end really proved them wrong.

Now let’s get into the bad news with Hoskins and that’s the fact that we might not see him on Opening Day. Hoskins in October had to undergo Tommy John surgery after his season-ending on September 12.

At the very least, it does seem like Hoskins has a shot to be ready for Opening Day, but time will tell if he is ready or not.

Overall, when Hoskins returns, he has shown he can be a productive bat even when he isn’t hitting well with his ability to draw walks. He ranked in the 93rd percentile in 2020 on base on balls and when he is hitting well, there are not many hitters like him. The Phillies could use a bounce-back year from Hoskins in 2021.