After a slow start to Spring Training, Rhys Hoskins broke out for the Cleveland Guardians.
Rhys Hoskins has built quite a reputation for himself since making his MLB debut: a right-handed power bat who has a tremendous eye at the plate.
That’s exactly why the Cleveland Guardians identified the veteran and brought him into the organization to help their young, unbalanced lineup.
It’s unfair and unrealistic to expect a player who was signed late in free agency and had a delayed start to his Spring Training to show his true capabilities right away, and Hoskins was certainly showing that in the first few Cactus League games with the Guardians.
However, on Saturday, the veteran was finally able to show his true capability and just how vital a piece he could be in Cleveland’s lineup in 2026.
“It’s great. He worked with a Fink [hitting coach] today, and he even said, ‘Hey, he looks different today,’” explained Vogt after the game.
Hoskins’ day at the plate started with a strikeout, but it was a typical punchout. The right-hander put up a 13-pitch battle against Michael King, which included several hard contact foul balls.
Everyone wants results, but this at-bat proved that Hoskins was locked in.
Looking back on this at-bat, Vogt admitted that “I thought he hit a ball. It would have been a homer without the wind, which coulda, shoulda, woulda, we all say those things.”
The second time Hoskins stepped up to the plate, he crushed the first pitch he saw right over the left field wall, for his first home run as a Guardian.
Hoskins’ final at-bat came in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, he ripped a ball right past the third baseman, allowing two runners to score.
By the time Hoskins’ day was over, he was two-for-three, with a home run, single, and four RBI; exactly that type of production the Guardina sneed in the middle of their lineup.
As Vogt said, “It takes everybody different amounts of time to feel like they've kind of settled in, but I think we saw the Rhys Hoskins that we all know today, and it's nice to get some results as well.”
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.