Justin Pizzo

Rhys Hoskins has become a free agent, and his time in the city of brotherly love has seemingly ended. It’s time for the Phillies to move on from Hoskins, which has struck the heart strings of Phillies fans across the city. 

He has created plenty of memories for Phillies fans to think fondly of. In this article, we’ll take a look at what I believe are Hoskins’ most impactful moments over the course of his career. 

After years of disappointing prospects of being called up and not living up to expectations, Rhys Hoskins was called up to the Phillies in the second half of 2017, a year where the Phillies had no expectation of making it to the playoffs. 

Over his first 50 games in the major leagues, Hoskins slugged 18 home runs at a record setting pace, posting a slash line of .259/.396/.618 while also putting up an OPS of 1.014. 

This stretch of success for Hoskins is something that the city had seen in the past few years, however it would be interesting to see how he followed it up in the coming years considering how other prospects never had sustained success. 

In 2018, Hoskins followed up his solid rookie campaign with an even better season. Because he played an entire year, his numbers were sure to drop a bit as opposed to the previous 50 games. In 153 games, Hoskins slashed .246/.354/.496 with an OPS of .850. He also hit 34 home runs and drove in 96 RBI. 

This sustained success is something that the club hadn’t seen from a hitter in quite some time. Hoskins provided the city with a sense of hope and a player that they could be proud of. 

5. Hoskins hits 11 HRs over the course of his first 14 MLB games (2017)

Well, this first one isn’t necessarily a ‘moment.’ However, this stretch got the city talking a little bit about the Phillies again after a few years of disappointment. 

4. Hoskins 34-second trot (2019)

After decades of the rivalry between the New York Mets and the Phillies, that rivalry found Hoskins in the middle of it. After taking a pitch near his head from a pitcher on the Mets, later on he drilled a long home run off of the same pitcher and took his time to jog around the bases. 

3. Hoskins drills an opening day grand-slam (2019)

2019 was an exciting time for Philadelphia baseball. After a big offseason signing the new face of the franchise in Bryce Harper, the stadium was packed with fans for opening day. Following a Harper walk, Hoskins came to the plate with the bases loaded and sent a rocket into the left field bleachers. 

2. Hoskins slugs 2 home runs in game 4 of the NLCS to fuel a comeback victory (2022)

Hoskins was on fire during the 2022 postseason and almost single handedly fueled a comeback in game 4 after being down 4-0 against the Padres in the first inning. He came to the plate with a runner on base in the first inning and jacked a 2-run shot off of Mike Clevinger to cut the lead to 4-2. Then, in the bottom of the 5th, the Phillies were now down 6-4 and yet again, Hoskins came up with a runner on base with a chance to tie the game. He did just that, sending a fastball from Sean Manea into the left field seats. The Phillies would go on to win this game and the series. 

1. The bat spike heard ‘round the world (2022)

The Phillies had just made the postseason for the first time in 11 years. The city had been dying for playoff baseball for over a decade, and it was the first game played in the Phillies home ballpark. In the 3rd inning, Hoskins delivered this moment that Phillies fans will hold onto for generations to come.

Over the course of his career thus far, Rhys Hoskins has stapled himself in Philadelphia sports history as one of the most lovable, and memorable athletes in recent memory. From his moments on the field, he also provided the community with plenty of memories off the field. Wherever he may end up, he will be sure to feel the brotherly love when he returns home.