Philadelphia Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins won’t stop hitting home runs
After only 16 games with the Philadelphia Phillies, rookie Rhys Hoskins looks right at home in MLB. The power-hitting righty has already smashed nine home runs. They’re not just lucky breaks either. Many of his dingers have gone a long way.
Less than a year after Ryan Howard’s final at-bat for the Philadelphia Phillies, Rhys Hoskins is in the big leagues and helping fans forget about “The Big Piece.” Instead, it’s Rhys’ pieces they are far more interested in.
It’s no surprise that Hoskins is using his power. Only the immediate success has captured our attention.
Last year, Hoskins finished with 38 home runs for Double-A Reading. He was in a year-long home run race with teammate Dylan Cozens, whose lack of contact has kept him in Triple-A this season. Hoskins, though, did more than pop home runs regularly this year and last. Before his promotion to Philadelphia, Hoskins was hitting .284 with 29 home runs. On top of that, he had 24 doubles and a .385 OBP.
Hoskins appears to possess everything needed to become the Phillies’ next superstar. The only trouble he faces right now is finding a place to play in the field.
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First base is Hoskins’ natural position. With Tommy Joseph on the roster, the Phillies are in a bind. Obviously, they’d probably prefer to move Joseph this offseason due to his decreasing numbers in 2017. The other option is to keep Hoskins in left field. This is the position the Phillies have used him for the majority of games since joining the big league team.
As far as the splits go, Hoskins is not limited to crushing lefties. Though five of his nine home runs have come against southpaws, he’s batting only .250 against them. Lefties are beginning to pitch him around, resulting in a .464 OBP thanks to seven early walks.
One could argue Hoskins hasn’t done much damage against credible pitchers. Those he has victimized with the long ball include multiple less notable pitchers. On Friday night, home run number nine came against Chicago Cubs pitcher Jose Quintana. It was the first time Hoskins actually took an “ace” deep. Likely, it’s one of dozens more to come.
Next: Marlins have legit playoff shot
Elsewhere in the National League East, Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is pushing toward 50 home runs. He’s hoping to get there before the end of August. As you may recall, Stanton was a rumored trade piece the Phillies discussed before the trade deadline. Now with Hoskins looking like the real deal, I’m not so sure the Marlins can dump his salary onto Philadelphia anymore.