Rhys Hoskins
Finally, we arrive at beloved former Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The former Phillies fifth-round draft pick was part of the core that survived the dark days and helped usher in the recent winnings ways in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, as we know, he was essentially forced out when Bryce Harper took over first base full-time.
With no room on the roster for a slugging first baseman or DH, with Kyle Schwarber holding that spot, the Phillies sadly had to let Hoskins walk in free agency in the fall. Luckily, he landed on his feet with the Milwaukee Brewers. He signed a two-year, $34 million contract in January.
Hoskins has been exactly what the Brewers thought they were getting when they signed the 31-year-old. He's hitting .229 with a .776 OPS, six home runs and 18 RBI in 29 games. Hitting in the middle of the Brewers lineup, he has helped his new team to a 20-11 start and first place in the NL Central.
He has noticeably started the season with a lower strikeout rate than he had during his time with the Phillies. His current 21.3 percent strikeout rate is five points better than his 2022 mark and is the lowest of his career. He has 26 strikeouts and has walked 12 times.
Hoskins also brought his hatred of the Mets (subscription required) with him to his new club. He made headlines on opening weekend in New York when the benches cleared after he took out second baseman Jeff McNeil with a hard slide. In his first game, he immediately endeared himself to his teammates and Brewers fans when he hit McNeil with the classic "crybaby."
The benches clear between the Mets and Brewers after Jeff McNeil takes exception to a hard slide into second base from Rhys Hoskins pic.twitter.com/NN4ee8ea0Y
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 29, 2024
You can take Rhys out of Philly, but you can't take the Philly out of Rhys, apparently. As much as his former teammates and fans miss him this season, with the Phillies off to a 22-11 start, things are going okay without him so far.