Phillies Forming a Core 4

Manning corner infield positions, Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard were the power threats. The third sacker had his big campaign in 1980 with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. But his highest average was .316 in 1981. On the other hand, Howard’s career stats were in ’06: .313 with 58 bombs and 149 RBIs. And if you experienced those must-see Howard at-bats, you’ll definitely look forward to Rhys Hoskins in April.

"WORDS OF WISDOM: “If you could equate the amount of time and effort put in mentally and physically into succeeding on the baseball field and measured it by the dirt on your uniform, mine would have been black.” – Michael Jack Schmidt"

Despite currently hitting .309, Hoskins’ numbers in the high minors were eventually .284 for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs before his call-up and .281 in 2016 for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils. He blasted 38 long balls with 116 RBIs last season, and his current total is 41 homers with 118 RBIs. In other words, he’ll hit for a solid average and is already establishing himself as a genuine threat. Word’s out!

While many things are striking about the rookie, his plate discipline is especially intriguing. He has demonstrated patience and consistency, which equals a solid on-base percentage, and he rarely misses a pitcher’s mistake. Yes, he’s an attendance godsend.

Hoskins’ stats are through Sept. 6.

• Double-A for 2016: K% of 21.2 percent and a BB% of 12.1 percent.
• Triple-A for 2017: K% of 15.8 percent and a BB% of 13.5 percent.
• MLB for 2017: K% of 16.8 percent and a BB% of 15.0 percent.

According to Fangraphs, low walk rates are only acceptable for players with exceptional power numbers. Here are plate-discipline comparisons.