The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired first baseman Rhys Hoskins on a two-year contract worth $34 million. ESPN’s Major League Baseball insider Jeff Passan reported that the deal includes an opt-out after the first season.
Hoskins played his first six MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he did not play during the 2023 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered during a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Brewers sign Rhys Hoskins pic.twitter.com/zRGDdTKLJn
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 24, 2024
In his last year with the Phillies, Hoskins batted .246 with a .332 on-base percentage and a .462 on-base and slugging percentage. He also made 145 hits, 79 runs batted in, and 30 home runs in 589 at-bats.
Hoskins’ best year came in 2018, his sophomore season with the Phillies. The California native collected career-highs of 34 home runs and 96 RBIs. He batted .246 on 129 hits out of 558 at-bats.
During his rookie season, Hoskins finished fourth in the voting for the NL Rookie of the Year despite playing only 50 games. He established a career-high batting average of .259 with 44 hits and 18 home runs.
The Brewers hope Hoskins can bring his hard-hitting. But after missing the entire 2023 season, he has much to prove as a viable hitting threat.
-Lance Fernandez