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One-time Philadelphia Phillies franchise star Rhys Hoskins is set to start the 2024 season with a new team for the first time in his career after reaching a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason.
In a recent interview with MLB Network, the first baseman opened up about his time in Philly and his outlook on leaving the team he first joined as a 21 year old.
“It’s the organization that drafted me in 2014, I debuted there in 2017, spent the bulk of my 20s there, turned from a college kid hopefully to somewhat more of a man there with my time in Philly,” Hoskins said. “So, it’s just going to be really different.”
Hoskins hit for a career .242/.353/.492 with 148 homeruns and 405 RBI in six years with the Phillies. He was a central part to the team’s World Series run in 2022, but a knee injury suffered during Spring Training last year kept him off the field all of last season.
The Phillies then let a player who had become a “lineup anchor,” as The Philadelphia Inquirer put it, leave for the free agent market and is now set to open a season without Hoskins for the first time in years.
Rhys Hoskins ‘Excited for Change’ With Milwaukee Brewers
Though Hoskins is appreciative of the growth he enjoyed as part of the Phillies, he noted that he is looking forward to the next chapter of his career.
“Different is not bad, or usually isn’t bad, but I’m excited for the change,” he added. “I’m excited for some of the new challenges and obstacles that will be thrown my way. But … excited more so just to get going with having missed a full year.”
Hoskins noted that the free agency process was slow and “frustrating at times,” but that he remained confident in a career resume that includes a home run derby nod and rookie of the year votes. He also reflected on his time on the injured list in 2023.
“I watched a lot of baseball over the past year, I got a front-row seat right in the dugout,” he explained. “I had never seen the game from that lens… I got some different perspective, which I think only helps us grow as players.”
Philadelphia Phillies Plan to Move on From Rhys Hoskins in 2024
While Hoskins was out last year, the new franchise face Bryce Harper took over his spot at first base. That lineup decision is expected to continue next season, giving the Phillies some more flexibility in the outfield.
Replacing Hoskins’ production in the batting order might be more challenging, but with sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos alongside Harper and Trea Turner, the team actually had a better OBP (.327) in 2023 than it did in 2022 (.317).
Ultimately, it will be Hoskins’ tenure and impact on the fanbase that could prove irreplaceable.
“Philly is going to miss Rhys Hoskins,” Todd Zelecki wrote for MLB.com. “Hoskins connected with the Phillies and the city for countless reasons, one of them being that he offered hope to a moribund franchise when he made his MLB debut in August 2017.”
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