The Philadelphia Phillies have had many fan favorites in recent years, but none probably bigger than former slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins. After all, not only was Hoskins one of the main driving forces for the offense, but he was also the heart and soul of the Phillies for many seasons, both on and off the field from 2017 to 2022.
Looking back, if it hadn’t been for a hard-luck freak knee injury during spring training of 2023, he might still be with Philadelphia right now. But after missing out on a complete season with a torn ACL, along with major roster adjustments in moving Bryce Harper permanently to first base and Kyle Schwarber into the designated hitter role, it inadvertently spelled the end of his tenure with the Phillies.
Former Phillies fan favorite Rhys Hoskins off to a strong start in spring training
Now, that same Hoskins is doing what he does best so far this spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old veteran has been absolutely raking, posting a .385 batting average and 1.864 OPS, with four home runs, seven runs scored and four RBI in six games. More impressively, he has shown great patience at the plate while at it, drawing five walks while striking out only three times in 18 total plate appearances heading into action on March 10.
Rhys Hoskins has slugged four homers in just 12 #SpringTraining at-bats 😳 pic.twitter.com/qxTlMfs1t2
— MLB (@MLB) March 8, 2025
Seeing Hoskins starting to resemble more like his dominant form in his days with the Phillies just makes it that much more heartbreaking for their fan base since his departure two years ago.
After signing with the Brewers during the 2023-24 offseason, Hoskins put together a sub-par campaign in which he hit a career-low .214 with just a .722 OPS. Nevertheless, he still managed some decent offensive output with 26 home runs and 82 RBI, hitting primarily in the middle part of the order. There’s no doubt that his long layoff due to the recovery from his knee surgery the previous year had an effect on his performance to some extent last season. But now with a clean bill of health heading into 2025, Hoskins appears to be reverting back to his true elite slugging form so far this spring.
Added to the fact that Harper hinted recently he wouldn't mind moving back to the outfield if the Phillies were thinking of significantly upgrading first base with a power hitter, had Philadelphia had that mindset earlier, perhaps their beloved fan favorite would have never left town. So all the Phillies and their loyal fan base are left with now is what could have been.