Star first baseman signs two-year deal with Brewers

2023 was an unfortunate year for the 30-year-old. On March 23, in a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers, Hoskins suffered a torn ACL. He would undergo surgery and miss the entire 2023 season. Then, the Phillies announced that Bryce Harper will play first base full-time in 2024. This left Hoskins no other choice but to sign elsewhere. 

This is a surprisingly decent payday for Hoskins given the severity of his injury. However, he might have gotten more years on a deal if he hadn’t been hurt. Nonetheless, Hoskins will be determined to show off his talents this upcoming season.

Rhys Hoskins Signs with the Brewers

Hoskins’ Top-Notch 2022 Season

Hoskins played in 156 games during the 2022 season. In 589 at-bats, the first baseman had 145 hits, 30 home runs, and 79 runs batted in with a .246 batting average. He led the Phillies in at-bats and doubles with 33. Hoskins’ best game during the regular season was on Aug. 16 in an 11-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds. He had three hits, two of those being home runs, while driving in five runs. During Game 4 of the NLCS against the San Diego Padres, Rhys also bombed two home runs, with four runs batted in. Philadelphia went on to win the game 10-6. The tides of success would change during the 2022 World Series for Hoskins. He batted .120 during that six-game series, only recording three hits.

Rhys Must Look to the Future, Not the Past

Rhys Hoskins must let the injury and the potentially longer contract be a thing of the past. If he’s determined to win and fits in with his new ball club, he should average his usual 30 home runs and 70-plus runs batted in. With the Brewers, if they become a postseason threat, or even make the World Series, Hoskins could erase his poor 2022 World Series from people’s memories. Perhaps he might reestablish his career at 31 years of age as a potential All-Star first baseman.