Eric Hosmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Hosmer |
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Hosmer with the San Diego Padres in 2021
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| First baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: October 24, 1989 South Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 6, 2011, for the Kansas City Royals | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| May 16, 2023, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .276 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 198 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 893 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Eric John Hosmer (born October 24, 1989) is a retired American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams, including the Kansas City Royals and the San Diego Padres. Hosmer was known for his powerful hitting and excellent defense.
Hosmer was a top prospect when the Royals drafted him in 2008. He quickly became a star, helping the Royals win the 2015 World Series. He also won four Gold Glove Awards for his amazing fielding skills and was the MVP of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game. In 2017, he helped Team USA win its first gold medal at the World Baseball Classic. After a long and successful career, Hosmer retired in 2024.
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Early Life and Family
Eric Hosmer's father, Mike, was a firefighter, and his mother, Ileana, is a nurse. His mother was born in Cuba and moved to the United States with her family when she was seven. His parents met in Florida and had two sons, Mike Jr. and Eric.
Hosmer's family was very important to his baseball success. He started playing baseball when he was very young. His father would often coach his teams and help him with batting practice, even after working long shifts as a firefighter. His mother helped him with schoolwork and recorded all his games so they could study them later to see how he could improve.
By the time he was in high school, Hosmer was training for almost seven hours a day. His family even hired a special hitting coach to help him become the best player he could be.
High School Baseball Star
Hosmer went to American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida, which was known for its great baseball program. He became a very strong player in high school. In his senior year, he had a .470 batting average and hit 11 home runs. His team was one of the best in the country and won a state championship.
Many scouts from MLB teams and colleges came to watch him play. Some of his home runs even became popular on YouTube. He won many awards, including being named Florida's Baseball Player of the Year twice. He was offered a scholarship to play baseball at Arizona State University, but he decided to play professional baseball instead.
In the 2008 Major League Baseball draft, the Kansas City Royals chose Hosmer with the third overall pick. The Royals gave him a $6 million signing bonus, which was the largest amount the team had ever given to a new player.
Professional Career
Journey Through the Minor Leagues
After being drafted, Hosmer began his career in Minor League Baseball. The Royals wanted him to develop his skills without rushing him to the major leagues. He first played for the Idaho Falls Chukars.
In 2009, he played for the Burlington Bees. He had a tough season and didn't hit as well as he wanted. In 2010, he started playing for the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He found out he had an eye condition called astigmatism and had laser surgery to fix it. After the surgery, his hitting improved a lot.
His great performance earned him a spot in the 2010 All-Star Futures Game, where he played with other top prospects. He was then promoted to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a Double-A team. He helped the team win the Texas League championship. By 2011, Hosmer was considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball.
Kansas City Royals (2011–2017)
Making his MLB Debut
The Royals called up Hosmer to the major leagues on May 5, 2011. He played his first MLB game the next day against the Oakland Athletics. Many people were excited to see him play, calling him a "super-prospect." On May 11, he hit his first MLB home run against the New York Yankees.
He had a great first year, hitting .293 with 19 home runs. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month twice and finished third in the voting for Rookie of the Year.
Becoming a Champion
After a challenging 2012 season, Hosmer bounced back in 2013. He won his first Gold Glove Award for his outstanding defense at first base. He finished the year with a .302 batting average.
In 2014, Hosmer helped lead the Royals to the 2014 World Series. During the playoffs, he hit a key two-run home run in the Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Royals made it to the World Series but lost to the San Francisco Giants.
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The 2015 season was even better. Hosmer had a great year, hitting .297 with 18 home runs and 93 RBIs. He played a huge role in the Royals' return to the World Series. In Game 1 of the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets, he hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to win the game in the 14th inning. In Game 5, he made a daring play to score the tying run in the ninth inning, which helped the Royals win the game and the World Series championship. He also won his third straight Gold Glove Award.
Final Years as a Royal
In 2016, Hosmer was named the MVP of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game after hitting a home run. He finished the season with a career-high 25 home runs and 104 RBIs.
In 2017, he had another amazing season, playing in all 162 games and hitting .318. He won his fourth Gold Glove Award and also a Silver Slugger Award for being the best offensive first baseman in the league. After the season, he became a free agent, which meant he could sign with any team.
San Diego Padres (2018–2022)
In 2018, Hosmer signed a large eight-year, $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres. He changed his jersey number to 30 to honor his former Royals teammate, Yordano Ventura.
In his first season with the Padres, he hit 18 home runs. In 2020, he was part of an amazing record when the Padres became the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four straight games. Hosmer hit one of them. He played with the Padres until partway through the 2022 season.
Later Career and Retirement
On August 2, 2022, Hosmer was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played in 14 games for Boston before being released at the end of the season.
In 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He played in 31 games for the Cubs before being released in May.
On February 21, 2024, Hosmer announced his retirement from baseball. He also announced that he was starting his own media company. He decided to retire because he felt he could no longer play at the high level he expected of himself.
International Career
Hosmer played for the United States national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He was a key player for Team USA, hitting an important home run against Venezuela. He helped the team win the tournament for the first time ever and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic team for his great performance.
Personal Life
In 2021, Hosmer married Kacie McDonnell, a sports host for Fox News. They have a son who was born in September 2022. Hosmer and his family live in Florida.
See also
In Spanish: Eric Hosmer para niños
