Rhys Hoskins had an inconsistent season for the Philadelphia Phillies
Rhys Hoskins has been a mainstay in the middle of the Philadelphia Phillies order for the last several seasons, however, much like the Phillies’ overall play this season, Hoskins was inconsistent in 2021. Nevertheless, he still provided much-needed power that was missing when he went down at the end of August.
Here’s a rundown of Hoskins’ 2021 season:
Getting out of the gate quickly, Hoskins hit safely in the first six games of the season, hitting .417 in the process. He cooled off for most of the remainder of April except for a six-game stretch in which he blasted six home runs. Included among those six home runs were two against the Rockies on April 24 and two against the Cardinals on April 26. Hoskins finished the month with a .231 average, eight home runs, and 14 RBI.
Although Hoskins hit only three home runs in May, he had six multi-hit games, 17 RBI, and a batting average of .302.
But as hot as Hoskins was in May, that’s how ice-cold he was in June. It was basically all or nothing for the month. Hoskins hit six home runs and knocked in a respectable 13 runs, but his batting average was an abysmal .135 with an OPS of .582.
Hitting season arrived and Hoskins was back on the upswing in July. He recorded five multi-hit games, six home runs, 19 RBI, and 17 walks. His batting average for a month surpassed the .300 benchmark, and his OPS was 1.163.
Despite continually coming up in trade rumors, Hoskins remained with the Phillies and got off to a hot start in August. After going 5-for-9 against the Washington Nationals on August 4 and August 5, Hoskins was shut down for two weeks due to a core injury. He hit two home runs against the Padres in his first game back on August 22.
Unfortunately, after another home run against the Rays three days later, Hoskins was shut down again. On August 31, it was revealed the Hoskins needed surgery on an abdominal tear, ending his season. The season totals for Hoskins were a .247 batting average, 29 doubles, 27 home runs, .530 slugging percentage, and .830 OPS.
Hoskins only committed four errors in the field for a .995 fielding percentage but those numbers are misleading. He clearly seemed out of sorts at times, missing balls that didn’t count as errors, but those that more accomplished defensive players fielded cleanly. Hoskins finished with a subpar dWAR of -1.2.
The power was there, as usual for Hoskins, as was his ability to draw walks. However, his batting average and defensive liability were less than desirable. Hoskins was leading the Phillies in home runs at the time he was shut down for the season.