Rhys Hoskins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhys Hoskins |
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Hoskins with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018
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| Milwaukee Brewers – No. 12 | |||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 17, 1993 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 10, 2017, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 5, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .238 | ||
| Home runs | 186 | ||
| Runs batted in | 529 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Rhys Dean Hoskins (pronounced REESS; born March 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Brewers, he played for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hoskins played college baseball for the Sacramento State Hornets. The Phillies chose him in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He started playing in MLB in 2017 and was the Phillies' main first baseman for six seasons. He helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 2022. Sadly, he then tore a ligament in his knee and missed the entire 2023 season. After that, Hoskins became a free agent and signed with the Brewers for the 2024 season.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Rhys Hoskins was born on March 17, 1993, in Sacramento, California. His parents, Paul and Cathy Hoskins, were both lawyers. Rhys was a very competitive kid. He loved to win at games, whether they were card games or backyard sports.
When Rhys was young, his mother became sick. She passed away in 2009, just before his 16th birthday. After this, Rhys became very close with his younger sister, Meloria. Rhys grew up loving the San Francisco Giants baseball team. He looked up to players like J. T. Snow and Paul Goldschmidt.
High School Sports and Studies
Rhys went to Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California. He was a great athlete and played baseball, basketball, and football. He also kept his grades high, earning a 4.0 grade-point average. His parents encouraged him to try many different activities instead of focusing on just one sport.
One of Rhys's teammates at Jesuit was Zach Green, who was a talented shortstop. Green usually batted third in their team's lineup, and Hoskins batted fourth. Rhys finished high school in 2011. He had a career batting average of .421, with 28 runs batted in (RBIs).
College Baseball Career
Rhys chose to play college baseball to improve his mental game. He went to California State University, Sacramento. This was the only college that offered him a scholarship to play for the Sacramento State Hornets.
As a freshman, he had a .353 batting average and hit 10 home runs. He also had 53 RBIs. He won several awards, including Freshman of the Year for his conference. In 2013, he played summer baseball for the Falmouth Commodores. He was named an all-star in that league.
In his junior year, he hit 12 home runs and had 53 RBIs. He batted .319 and was named Player of the Year for his conference. He also received national awards for his strong performance.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Philadelphia Phillies picked Rhys Hoskins in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He signed with the team for a bonus of $349,700. Rhys started his professional career in 2014 with the Williamsport Crosscutters. He hit nine home runs in 70 games.
In September 2014, the Phillies helped Rhys improve his batting. He developed his special "left leg kick" batting style.
In 2015, Rhys played for the Lakewood BlueClaws. He was named the Phillies' Minor League Player of the Month in May. He then moved up to the Clearwater Threshers. Overall in 2015, he batted .319 with 17 home runs and 90 RBIs. After the season, he played in Australia for the Sydney Blue Sox. He continued to hit well there, with eight home runs in 42 games.
In 2016, Rhys played for the Reading Fightin Phils. He and his teammate, Dylan Cozens, were a powerful duo. They hit many home runs together, exciting fans in Reading. Rhys batted .281 with 38 home runs and 116 RBIs that year. He was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year. He also received the Paul Owens Award as one of the best players in the Phillies' minor league system.
Rhys started the 2017 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He led his league in RBIs (91) and home runs (29). He was named the International League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rookie of the Year. He was also chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
2017: A Record-Breaking Start
Rhys Hoskins was called up to the Phillies on August 10, 2017. He made his MLB debut that same day. On August 13, he got his first major league hit and RBI. The next day, he hit his first two major league home runs in one game.
Rhys quickly broke many rookie records. On August 26, he became the fastest player in MLB history to hit 10 career home runs, doing it in just 17 games. His 11th home run came the next day, in only 64 at-bats. This broke previous records. He also became the first Phillies rookie to hit a home run in five games in a row since Chase Utley in 2008. In one game, he even made a rare triple play from the outfield!
By August 28, in his 19th game, Rhys had 25 RBIs. This was one of the fastest times ever to reach that many RBIs. He continued to set records for how quickly he reached 12, 15, 16, 17, and 18 home runs. He was named the National League Rookie of the Month for August.
For the 2017 season, Rhys batted .259 with 18 home runs and 48 RBIs. He had the highest slugging percentage and OPS (a stat that combines hitting power and getting on base) in MLB when runners were in scoring position. He finished fourth in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year award.
2018: Home Run Derby and More Records
On June 27, 2018, Rhys became the fastest Phillies player to hit 30 career home runs. He did it in 120 games, beating Chuck Klein's record. On July 3, he became the fastest Phillie to reach 100 career RBIs.
Rhys was chosen to take part in the MLB Home Run Derby. He beat Jesús Aguilar in the first round. In the second round, he hit 20 home runs, but lost to Kyle Schwarber by one home run.
On August 5, Rhys became the fastest Phillie to get 100 walks. By September 18, he was the seventh-fastest player in MLB history to hit 50 career home runs. Only a few legendary players reached 50 home runs faster than him.
For the 2018 season, Rhys hit 34 home runs and had 96 RBIs. He was among the top players in the National League for home runs, doubles, and walks. He also had a very high percentage of fly balls.
2019: Leading the League in Walks
In 2019, Rhys played in 160 games. He hit 29 home runs and had 85 RBIs. He led the National League with 116 walks. He also moved to playing first base full-time, where he played 158 games.
2020-2022: Injuries and World Series Run
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In the shorter 2020 season, Rhys hit 10 home runs and had 26 RBIs in 41 games. In October 2020, he had surgery on his left elbow.
In 2021, Rhys had an abdominal injury and a groin strain. These injuries caused him to miss the end of the season. Before his season ended, he was leading the Phillies with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs.
In the 2022 season, Rhys batted .246 with 30 home runs and 79 RBIs. He led the Phillies in at-bats and doubles. The Phillies made it to the 2022 World Series, but they lost to the Houston Astros in six games.
2023: Missing the Season
On January 13, 2023, Rhys signed a one-year contract with the Phillies. However, during a spring training game on March 23, he suffered a serious knee injury. He tore a ligament in his knee and needed surgery. This meant he missed the entire 2023 season. Because of this injury, and another player, Bryce Harper, moving to first base, the Phillies did not re-sign Rhys. He became a free agent.
Joining the Milwaukee Brewers
2024: A New Team
On January 26, 2024, Rhys Hoskins signed a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. The contract was worth $34 million.
On June 3, 2024, Rhys returned to Philadelphia to play against his old team, the Phillies. The fans gave him a huge cheer before his first time at bat. He then hit a home run in that very first game back in Philadelphia.
2025: Strong Performance
Rhys started the 2025 season slowly. But by May 21, he was on a great streak, hitting very well in 33 games. During this time, he had one of the best batting averages and on-base percentages in the National League. Rhys said he made a small change to how he batted, which helped him wait longer for the right pitch. Statistics showed his hitting power and accuracy were the best they had ever been.
However, Rhys had a tougher June. In July, he hurt his thumb while tagging out a runner. He was expected to be out for four to eight weeks to recover.
Personal Life
Rhys Hoskins married his longtime girlfriend, Jayme Bermudez, on November 9, 2019. His Phillies teammate Scott Kingery was one of his groomsmen. While Rhys played in Philadelphia, he and Jayme helped raise over $1 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
