Rhys Hoskins’ first season in Cleveland did not go the way anyone hoped. The veteran first baseman signed a minor league deal last winter, worked his way into the lineup and gave the Guardians some much needed pop, but his overall numbers were hard to look at. Now he is a free agent, and at 33, he is looking for his next opportunity. One skill could help him find it. MLB.com’s Jake Greenspan broke down the free agent market by specific traits, and Hoskins stood out for how often he squares up the ball.
“If you’re looking for smashed baseballs in the air: Barrel rate – 12.6% Rhys Hoskins,” Greenspan wrote. “A barrel is the best combination of exit velocity and launch angle, the sort of batted ball that typically results in an extra-base hit. This is the sort of contact that the game’s best hitters strive for. Hoskins has a 100 OPS+ (read: league average production) in parts of three seasons since returning from a torn ACL.”
A barrel is the ideal mix of exit velocity and launch angle, the kind of contact that usually ends up as an extra-base hit or a home run. Hoskins posted a 12.6 percent barrel rate this season, which Greenspan highlighted as one of the best marks among available free agents for hitters who drive the ball in the air.
That power showed up at times in Cleveland. Hoskins hit 13 home runs with 38 RBIs in 95 games and drew 47 walks. The rest of his line was rough, though. He hit just .179 with a .306 on-base percentage and a .682 OPS, and he struck out 100 times in 317 plate appearances.
Greenspan also pointed out that Hoskins has been a league-average hitter since returning from the torn ACL that wiped out his 2023 season. He has a 100 OPS+ across those three years. He hit 26 home runs with 82 RBIs for Milwaukee in 2024, then posted a .748 OPS in 90 games with the Brewers in 2025 before landing in Cleveland.
His track record before the injury is a reminder of what teams are hoping to find. The Phillies drafted Hoskins in the fifth round in 2014 out of Sacramento State, and he burst onto the scene in 2017 with 18 home runs in just 50 games, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He hit at least 29 home runs in three different seasons in Philadelphia. For his career, he owns 199 home runs and an .809 OPS.
He brings value off the field as well. Chase DeLauter named Hoskins as one of the veterans he leaned on for advice early in his rookie season, and the first baseman quickly became a respected voice in a young clubhouse.
A return to Cleveland seems unlikely. First base is one of the Guardians’ biggest needs, but the front office is expected to look for a more consistent bat, and top prospect Ralphy Velazquez is knocking on the door.
That could still make him a smart buy for someone. Teams looking for right-handed power on a cheap, short-term deal could do worse than a hitter who still barrels the ball as well as Hoskins does. He turns 34 in March, and his next contract will likely be modest, but his ability to change a game with one swing has not gone away.
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