The Phillies are missing their "captain"
I miss Rhys Hoskins, and I don't care who knows it.
Shortly after it was learned that Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in spring training and would subsequently miss the entirety of the 2023 season, Bryce Harper left reporters with a telling quote about the Phillies’ first baseman.
“We all call him our captain,” Harper told Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We all call him Mr. Philly for a reason. … He’s been our leader here for as long as he’s been up here. Since I’ve been here he’s been our guy. He’s a great teammate, a great person. He’s one of the best guys I’ve been around.”
That’s high praise from the two-time National League MVP, especially because many Philadelphia fans might consider Harper the “captain” of the Phillies, but according to the 2022 NLCS MVP himself, Rhys is “the guy.”
This isn’t the first time Hoskins has been commended for his leadership abilities, though. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said of Hoskins amid the Phillies’ postseason run in Oct. 2022: “In many ways [he] epitomizes what we are as a club. Because at times, he’s had a couple of moments where he’s had miscues in the field, but he bounces back. He’s resilient. He’s tough. And if anybody appreciates what’s going on here, he’s one of those guys because he’s been here the whole time. He’s seen what’s necessary to make this happen.”
That’s why losing a player like him for presumably all 162 games is a huge blow to the team, the clubhouse, the fans, and even the league. Hoskins possesses power; He was second on the team last year in home runs with 30, behind only NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber’s 46, and has 148 long balls to his name across his six-year MLB career.
Since debuting with Philadelphia, it’s no secret that Hoskins has been the subject of much polarization. While I understand it—he’s had his fair share of nasty slumps and defensive blunders at first base—Hoskins is the heart and soul of this Phillies core. And that’s never been more clear than it has been in the first two months of the 2023 campaign.
There’s a saying that appears in songs, has been used to describe break-ups, and is commonly used that goes, “You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.” That’s been the case for many across the Delaware Valley that previously loathed Hoskins for his inconsistencies at the plate and lackluster fielding, or simply believed he was the sole cause for the Phillies’ failures prior to their magical World Series run last fall.
In fact, I still receive replies on Twitter that name him as the source of all of the Phillies’ problems, despite him not even stepping foot on the diamond this year, except to receive his National League championship ring while donning a cast. Yes, there are still fans hoping and praying that Philadelphia’s brass does not re-sign him in the offseason, and he ships off elsewhere.
But hasn’t the Phillies’ start this year further proved that Rhys is not a problem? The team is still inconsistent. They’re still streaky. They’re still struggling with the simple fundamentals of the game. Errors are still occurring. They’re still making you suffer through incredibly painful losses. The Phillies are still the Phillies. This is just how they are.
I would argue, and perhaps I am biased as a Hoskins fan myself, but the team is clearly missing him, not just for his ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark and drive in runs, but for what he brings to the team and clubhouse as a whole. I’m sure he’s still around the team in some capacity as he recovers from surgery, as he was on Opening Day, but not being there around his teammates every day, in the clubhouse, I’m sure has taken a toll on the team somewhat.
You can say many things about Hoskins, but one thing you can’t claim is that he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. The man plays with emotion; You can tell when he’s frustrated with himself at the plate, with a loss, or when he’s pumped up after a big hit, whether he got the knock or one of his teammates did.
Let’s travel back to April 24, 2019. The roster looked much different than it does now, but Hoskins was still the same old, petty man he is today. And what are professional sports without a little pettiness? The Phillies were in Flushing, N.Y., taking on the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mets reliever Jacob Rhame intentionally threw at Hoskins during the ninth inning, to which Rhys responded by hitting a two-run blast and taking his sweet time trotting around the bases, which lasted 34 seconds in total. Rhame was suspended for two games as a result.
Petty Rhys is the best Rhys.
That wasn’t Hoskins’ only spicy moment against the Mets. On May 2, 2021, while the Phillies took on New York on Sunday Night Baseball at Citizens Bank Park, Hoskins seemingly hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Not only would the home run have put the Phillies ahead and walked off the game, but it would’ve been Hoskins’ 100th career home run. Unfortunately, the home run was overturned (and it was the right call) but this elicited an explicit response from Rhys, who could be seen mouthing “f—k you!” to the umpires from the dugout. The Phillies lost the game, 8-7.
Like the 2023 Phillies, the 2021 and 2022 Phillies also struggled in the month of May, going 22-34 across the last two seasons during the second month of the season. Hoskins kept them afloat in 2021, however, slashing .302/.398/.448 with three homers and 17 RBI in 28 games that month. One of his three home runs came on May 25 against the Miami Marlins, a game the Phillies narrowly won, 2-0. Hoskins took future NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara deep in the 4th inning to put Philadelphia on the board. Hoskins was fired up.
Of course, one of the most iconic moments of the Phillies’ postseason run last year was his three-run home run in NLDS Game 3 off of Atlanta Braves rookie ace Spencer Strider, who had been cruising up until that point. Hoskins slammed his bat down on the grass as he began to trot around the bases. The three-run blast broke a previous 1-for-18 with six strikeouts in the postseason for Hoskins. He needed that, as did the team, hence his explosive reaction.
Hoskins’ reaction during Bedlam at the Bank was also legendary. I did not know he could jump that high.
I’ve watched nearly every Phillies game this season, and at times, they’ve appeared to lack the above passion that I just described. I don't want to say they've seemed emotionless, because Alec Bohm and Jose Alvarado have had their fair share of public emotional displays. But it's obvious they're down a leader.
Trea Turner hasn’t brought that spark I thought he’d bring, or made an immediate impact like I imagined he would. In fact, this stretch has been one of the worst of his career, just as John Foley detailed in a recent edition of his newsletter.
The addition of Harper back into the lineup at the beginning of May—just five months after undergoing Tommy John surgery—certainly helped the team and brought some emotion, as Harper’s already been involved in a bench-clearing scrum with a cowardly Rockies reliever and is clearly pumped up whenever he gets on base. But it still didn’t provide the spark that the Phillies so desperately needed.
That’s where Rhys’ absence comes in. The Phillies feel different without him. Because although the usual miscues, dumb plays, and sloppy baseball are still occurring regardless of if he’s in the lineup or not, they’re missing a large piece of the puzzle. To me, and I’m sure some others, it’s felt as if the lineup hasn’t been complete without him; The space where he’d normally slot in has been incredibly noticeable. After all, that’s -30 home runs. Kody Clemens has been a pleasant surprise so far, but he’s surely not hitting 30 bombs. Will anyone in the Phillies lineup even eclipse 30 home runs except Kyle Schwarber? Harper? Maybe Castellanos?
If one wants to argue that Rhys’ offensive production can be easily replaced at the plate, fine, but it’s proved difficult to replace him as “captain” of the Phillies. I believe he’s a morale boost to the team and his passion is contagious.
Overall, the Phillies seemed to be lacking a sense of identity again…which is a bit perplexing considering they’re the reigning National League champions. You’d think that with the breakthrough they experienced last season, they’d have a stronger grip on who they are and what they’re capable of. In other words, have more of a “winning” mentality.
That was until May 24, when Turner hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning that set it up for Alec Bohm to walk it off in the 10th, leading the Phils to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, thus avoiding a three-game sweep.
Turner, who’s slashed an abysmal .235/.287/.420 this month, finally delivered a big hit, the biggest one of his young Phillies career. The Turner home run actually got me off of my couch and jumping up and down in excitement. Ironically, when he came up to bat I said that Rob Thomson should’ve pinch-hit for Turner instead of Garrett Stubbs, so at that moment, I was glad I wasn’t the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Because I would’ve made a terrible decision.
That type of hit, that type of win, is exactly what the Phillies needed—especially as they face a daunting road trip that features the first-place Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. But these are the types of moments that can potentially turn a whole season around.
So, will that moment be this year’s Joe Girardi firing? Time will tell. Either way, the Phillies need to turn it around sooner rather than later as June quickly approaches (you hear that, Schwarber?) Especially if they hope to see their captain, Rhys Hoskins, return this season, they’ll need another run deep into October.