Guardians Internal Culture Helping Rhys Hoskins Adjust to New Stint in Cleveland

Rhys Hoskins' fit with the Cleveland Guardians was a topic of conversation since the day he decided to sign a minor league deal with the club.

Cleveland already had a first baseman that they could rely on in Kyle Manzardo, and while he had some bumps in the road, it was generally believed that he was going to be able to turn a new page and jump into 2026 on a good foot. Alongside Manzardo, the team also had CJ Kayfus, whose primary position is first base.

But since the start of the new year, the decision to bring in Hoskins has paid off in many different ways. With Kayfus and Manzardo hitting a few bumps in the road, Hoskins has settled in nicely and been a good right-handed presence at the plate for the Guardians.

On Wednesday, April 8, Hoskins looked sharp in the Guardians' 10-2 win over the Royals. He went 3-for-4 from the plate with three doubles and one RBI, helping lead the team in a career-best performance.

When asked how easy it was for him to adjust to playing with the Guardians and become more comfortable on the diamond, Hoskins spoke to the team's culture and the players' close-knit bond.

"Yeah, easy, really," Hoskins said about getting comfortable playing in Cleveland. "It’s a great group of guys. And I think I’ve said this before, but you can tell that these guys have been playing together for multiple years. Just inside jokes all over the place, and everybody knows how each other operates. And I think when things get tough, that’s easy to lean on. And they’ve really just welcomed me with open arms.

"Great day today. More importantly, another series win for us. Nothing better than a big league off day coming off a win."

Hoskins is now up to a slashing line of .259/.394/.444 for an OPS of .838, with seven total hits and five doubles. He's also not doing too badly in the strikeout realm either, drawing six walks to 12 strikeouts.

Following Hoskins' performance on Wednesday, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt complimented what he's been able to do at the plate and stand in as an experienced bat.

"Yeah, Rhys is a professional hitter," Vogt said. "The patience, the lack of chase, the ability to think along with pitchers and the ability to go through the Rolodex of what he sees. A lot of those at-bats, he’s ready to go. Swings at the right pitches. Just having him in the middle of the order really makes the lineup longer. He’s getting on base unbelievably.

"Like a day like today, three doubles, that’s pretty cool."

While he's playing well, so are various other players on the team. And oddly enough, it isn't as much the reliable returners from 2025, but the newcomers and youngsters from 2026. On Tuesday, infield prospect Juan Brito made his major league debut, smashing a double and a single, before following up his debut with another set of hits on Wednesday.

Alongside Brito, outfielder Chase DeLauter has continued to play exceptionally well.

He's up to 11 hits, one double and five home runs, good enough for 11 RBI, which is a team-high. He's also starting to draw more walks as well, with four on the campaign. Counterpart Steven Kwan is the only other member of the Guardians with more hits.

Hoskins said the Guardians' group of youngsters has been refreshing for him and allowed him to stay energized.

"I think these guys bring energy every day, you know," Hoskins said. "Easy to have energy early in the year. Everyone’s excited to be back and playing together again, but that’s something that I’m sure we’re going to lean on as we get into the summer.

"These guys, we talk a lot about veteran leadership and what we can do for some of these young guys and sharing our experience, but they do a lot for us, and they don’t even know it."

Hoskins and the Guardians will, fortunately, have a day off on Thursday, April 9, but will be back in action just a day later on Friday, April 10, to kick off a road series against the Atlanta Braves. The two sides will clash at 7:15 p.m. EST from Truist Park.

Hopefully, with his power starting to break through a bit, Hoskins will have a chance to trade his batting helmet for the medieval one at some point in the series against the Braves.