Rhys Hoskins has emerged as a force in Philadelphia.
With most fantasy baseball leagues either having their playoffs right around the corner or already started, every manager still in contention is looking for that piece to put them over the top. They’re looking for a hitter or pitcher who will come in and make an immediate impact on their starting lineup and give them that edge against the guy who’s been on cruise control throughout the regular season and is looking to run away with the championship. If you’re one of these managers or even the guy who’s been on cruise control, I have your answer. There is a player more than likely out on your waiver wire since he’s owned in less than 40% of leagues in almost every major platform. Today I’m going to discuss a guy who has 1B/OF eligibility hitting cleanup on a young team that has nothing to lose but to play him every day. I am of course speaking of Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Let’s start with the real point of this article. Why in the world is Rhys Hoskins owned in less than 40% of leagues? This is a guy that has now, as of August 24th, hit 7 HRs and has walked 10 times (and only struck out 9 times) in the 14 games he’s played in since being called up all while still hitting at a cool .271 average. Rhys Hoskins has – granted, in a very small sample size – hit the ball harder at a higher rate than most players in baseball. He owns a Hard% of 51.3% since being called up, which is only behind mashers Trevor Story, Joey Gallo, Nelson Cruz, Justin Upton, Kyle Schwarber, Chris Davis, and Jake Lamb during that span. Meanwhile, he also has a higher percentage than Aaron Judge, Nolan Arenado, Giancarlo Stanton, or Mike Moustakas. Did you miss his first HR against the Padres earlier this year? Enjoy.
Let’s look at the guys hitting the ball harder than Hoskins for a moment. What do they all have in common? They strike out. A lot. We’re talking about guys who have so many sombreros, golden or otherwise, they could dress every mariachi band on Cinco de Mayo. Not a single one of those names has a strikeout rate lower than Hoskins during that period and only two had a K% lower than 27% (Fowler/Lamb). That’s where Hoskins separates himself from the rest of the competition. As of August 24th, he has walked more than he has struck out. In fact, his K% sits at an incredible 15.3%. Compare that to the rest of the HR leaderboard and you’ll find that only Cody Bellinger and Mike Moustakas have a K% below 20%. This advanced approach at the plate is really what makes this kid special. Take a look at the result of this eight pitch at bat he had against Vance Worley. He’s patient, he doesn’t swing at bad pitches and waits for the pitcher to make a mistake. This epitomizes the potential that Hoskins represents.
He’s doing all of this while still maintaining a .271 batting average despite having a .181 BABIP. You read that correctly: his BABIP is almost 100 points lower than is actual batting average. That’s what happens when your ISO in the past 14 days is .458 and you smash that many home runs. His BABIP has only dipped below .280 for an entire season one time in his career (his first in the Minors in which he only played 70 games) and is much more likely to regress to the mean and end up with a BABIP closer to .300, if not higher. Here’s a look at his first Major League hit. A beautiful inside out swing for single just out of the reach of Dominic Smith. This is the sort of production we can expect to see moving forward to complement that salivating power tool he possesses.
Rhys Hoskins will be the next Joey Votto or Paul Goldschmidt. We’re talking about a bona fide slugger who’s already hitting at a .271 clip and has all signs pointing to a positive regression, even if it’s only somewhat slight in regards to his batting average. Combine that with the power he’s been showcasing since getting called up and I would say that quantifies as the answer we’re all looking for going into the homestretch of our fantasy seasons.
I hope that none of you actually get to this part because you’re too busy dropping everything to check and see if Hoskins is available in your league. If not, please do. I won’t be offended, it’s my job to get you that excited. If you’re unwisely still reading this, then you’ll find out that next time I’ll be discussing a somewhat unheralded player that could be the secondary OF option to put you over the top going into September to replace the Michael Conforto or Jackie Bradley Jr. that you just lost. I’ll give you a hint, Hoskins has a lot to do with his success.
