There was a moment this past offseason when it seemed like the Phillies were considering a reunion with Rhys Hoskins. There was really nothing to the rumors, and it basically seemed to come about because WIP reporter Devan Kaney conflated two different discussions to make it seem like the Phillies were seriously thinking about signing Hoskins.
With the Phillies facing Hoskins’ Guardians team this weekend, and with the Phillies struggling against lefthanded pitching, it’s worth wondering if the Phillies made a mistake in not pursuing their old friend.
Of course, the biggest obstacle to having Hoskins on the Phillies remains: Hoskins can only play first base (and poorly at that) or designated hitter, and the Phillies’ best two offensive players are ensconced at those positions. Any talk about moving either Hoskins or Kyle Schwarber to the outfield should be immediately dismissed. You can get away with that for about seven innings once a week, but it is unfeasible on a regular basis, especially with a centerfielder going through growing pains on defense.
As for Bryce Harper moving to the outfield…he still doesn’t seem especially excited by the prospect. He might have felt some remorse over that decision if Hoskins would have been the team’s answer against lefty pitching, but based on Hoskins’ performance this season, that wouldn’t have been the case.
Hoskins’ stat line is interesting. He is batting .192 (that’s bad) but has an on-base percentage of .353 (that’s good). His overall OPS is respectable, but he’s hit just four home runs, and his slugging percentage is .375, continuing a steady career long decline (also bad). Basically, Hoskins has been elite at taking walks and not much else.
He’s also been very bad against lefthanded pitching, with a .132/.275/.360 slash line. Say what you will about Adolis Garcia, but at least his numbers against opposite-handed pitching are respectable and he plays good defense.
The Phillies’ offseason moves aren’t looking spectacularly successful at the moment, but some of the moves they didn’t make (just wait until they play the Mets) have proven to be wise.
Trivia
Last week’s answer: Before last weekend, the Phillies’ franchise leader for home runs at PNC Park was Jimmy Rollins with five. However, thanks to his two home runs last Friday, Kyle Schwarber is now the leader with six.
This week’s question: Aside from Citizens Bank Park and Milwaukee’s American Family Field, what stadium has Rhys Hoskins hit the most home runs in?
Non-Phillies thought
I’m probably going to see The Mandalorian and Grogu this weekend, but I can’t help but think this movie is coming out about four years later than it should have. It pretty much should have been a two season show, and season two ended over five years ago. Since then, they had to mostly walk back season two’s finale because they didn’t think anyone was going to watch the show without “Baby Yoda.”
The more I think about it, the more I think the season two finale was so well received is because what people really want from Star Wars is more content with Luke, Leia, Han, and company. Recast those roles and give us some adventures immediately after Return of the Jedi before they become the sad sacks we saw in the sequel trilogy. (Or heck, go ahead and retcon those movies!)
You can take my opinions on Star Wars with a grain of salt though. I thought the much-praised Andor was sporadically great but was mostly a slog to get through. And I mostly enjoyed the lesser regarded The Acolyte.
Remembering some guys
The Guardians have a couple of former Phillies in their system who fall into the “that guy is still around?” category.
Connor Brogdon spent five years with the Phillies and always seemed like he was on the cusp of becoming a dominant reliever but could never quite get there. He went from a dominating performance in the 2022 World Series to a guy who was almost guaranteed to walk a couple of batters in every appearance the following season.
It seems that a change of scenery was not all that Brogdon needed. The Phillies traded him to the Dodgers at the start of the 2024 season, but his performance got worse post trade. After another bad season with the Angels in 2025, he signed with the Guardians in the offseason, but struggled to the point where they designated him for assignment.
Kolby Allard wasn’t a Phillie for very long. At the end of the 2024 season, when the team was desperately trying to find a competent arm for their fifth starter spot, they cycled through a bunch of guys, hoping one would stick. Allard was actually one of the better performers, and considering he had a 5.00 ERA that says a lot about the other guys they used.
Allard latched on with the Guardians as a reliever in 2025 and put together a decent season as a middle reliever. But the success didn’t carry over into 2026, and like Brogdon, he was demoted to the minors.
Additional thought about the series
The Guardians don’t have a lot of household names on their roster, but they’re winning games. At 29-22, they’re in first place of the AL Central. It’s somewhat surprising considering that their biggest star, Jose Ramirez is having a down season by his standards.
What the Guardians do have is a group of young players doing well. Travis Bazzana, Brayan Rocchio, Angel Martinez, and Chase DeLauter are all in their early to mid-twenties and are having breakout seasons.
As a Phillies fan, it seems like a foreign concept to have the team’s developmental system produce players who can step in and contribute on the major league level, but apparently it can indeed lead to winning baseball. Maybe the Phillies should try it?
