How Will Philadelphia Phillies Be Affected Without Their Slugger Hoskins?
It was just a matter of time before news broke that Rhys Hoskins was leaving.
The Milwaukee Brewers will reportedly sign Hoskins for $34 million over two years with an opt-out after the 2024 season.
The Brewers will be better off with Hoskins in the lineup and in the clubhouse.
The Philadelphia Phillies will miss Hoskins.
They’ll miss his power, his ability to drive in runs, his leadership.
While it has been expected, the absence of Hoskins will hurt.
The slugger had a batting average of .246 with 30 home runs and 79 RBI and added six homers and 12 RBI in 17 postseason games in 2022. Yes, he committed 12 errors at first base in the regular season, but improvement was immense.
On March 23, 2023, Hoskins tore his ACL in a non-contact injury. There had been hope that Hoskins could return to the Phillies at some point during their playoff run.
Philadelphia was ousted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games in the National League Championship Series as Hoskins was forced to simply watch.
When that series ended, Hoskins’ era ended too.
He became a fan favorite and clearly relished his time in the city.
As the Phillies continue to tweak their roster, they’ll move forward without Hoskins. They sure could use his power even as a designated hitter.
Very few players are irreplaceable.
Philadelphia could have found a way to make it work. They chose to move on.
So did Hoskins.
His 148 career home runs, 149 doubles and 405 RBI will be missing from the lineup. His leadership will now be in Milwaukee.
Players rarely stay in one city for their entire career.
While this not unexpected, it’s going to sting.
