As Rhys Hoskins crushed a middle-middle fastball from Atlanta’s Spencer Strider in Game 3 of the 2022 National League Division Series, he kicked off the party that signaled the return of Red October to South Philadelphia. With a dramatic bat spike on top of it, he ignited the crowd at Citizens Bank Park, only a warm-up for the multiple key homers he’d launch on the Phillies’ way to the World Series.
Sure, his bat was quiet in the Wild Card Series and in the team’s loss in the Fall Classic to the Houston Astros. He made mistakes in the field at first base. But, especially as the games returned home in the NLDS and NLCS, Hoskins provided power that will be tough to replace this time around.
With Hoskins likely out for the entire 2023 postseason after tearing his ACL during spring training — although the Phillies haven’t ruled him out for a potential World Series return — the Phillies will miss his presence in the lineup as they look to make a second consecutive deep playoff run.
The right-handed hitter’s numbers were far from dominant throughout the 2022 postseason, slashing .159/.205/.435 in 17 games. But Hoskins did damage at the plate at impactful times as he crushed some of the most significant home runs in the history of Citizens Bank Park.
After a hitless Wild Card Series in St. Louis and a missed play in the infield in Game 2 of the NLDS, Hoskins’ famed bat-spike homer helped the Phillies to a blowout Game 3 victory as they took a commanding 2-1 lead over the Braves. A day later, Philadelphia clinched the series win.
Hoskins exploded in the NLCS against the San Diego Padres, recording four hits but all of them going over the fence for home runs. He slashed .222/.300/.889 as the Phillies won in five games to head to the World Series.
In Game 4, Hoskins blasted two crucial homers to lift Philadelphia to a victory and a 3-1 series lead. In a 4-0 hole after the top of the first, he took Padres starter Mike Clevinger deep for a two-run shot to get the Phillies right back in the game. He later homered off Sean Manaea to tie the game before Philadelphia completed the comeback.
The next day, Hoskins demolished a 3-0 cement mixer from Yu Darvish to put the Phillies on the board in what ended up as the National League clincher. Of course, Bryce Harper later sealed the deal with his game-winning home run with “the swing of his life,” in the words of FOX play-by-play announcer Joe Davis. But if not for “Bedlam at the Bank,” perhaps Hoskins could’ve been crowned NLCS MVP instead of Harper.
Hoskins came down to earth in the World Series as he batted just .120 as the Phillies fell in six games. But his well-timed hot streak was a major reason the team got to that point.
In 2023, the Phillies won’t have that power bat hitting second in October. Shortstop Trea Turner, looking like his All-Star self as of late, will likely fill that spot and brings plenty to the table — including his fair share of power. Turner, Harper and Kyle Schwarber all bring the pop.
But the long ball plays in the postseason, and you can never have too much power. Hoskins is far from a perfect player. Still, there were a number of times last year where the Phillies just needed a homer in a big spot and the homegrown slugger delivered. This postseason, they’ll need his teammates to pick up the slack if they want to reach similar heights.
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