Maybe all it took for Rhys Hoskins to find his stroke was a rare visit to his hometown. The Cleveland Guardians slugger played his first major league game in Sacramento on Friday and had the best performance of his first season with his new ballclub.
Hoskins went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in Cleveland’s 8-5 win at Sutter Health Park. His two-run double tied the game in the fifth inning, and his solo home run gave the Guardians a two-run lead in the seventh.
Afterward, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt got honest about Hoskins’ homecoming, calling it a “fun night for Rhys.”
“It’s so cool. You know, when guys get to play in their hometown in front of their family, and obviously this is a unique one for Rhys. Never played in Sacramento before. So really fun for him to come through with some big hits, big at bats. Really happy, fun night for Rhys,” Vogt said, per Mason Horodyski.
#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on Rhys Hoskins big homecoming in Sacramento:
“It's so cool. You know, when guys get to play in their hometown in front of their family, and obviously this is a unique one for Rhys. Never played in Sacramento before. So really fun for him to come… https://t.co/zA9MofXEGF
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 2, 2026
The California state capital was never a stop on the major league schedule until last season, when the Athletics needed a temporary home while their new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. The ballpark is technically in West Sacramento, but downtown Sacramento can easily be seen over the right-field wall.
The city is where Hoskins was born and grew up, playing baseball at Jesuit High School, and then moving on to Sacramento State University. From there, he was a fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2014 MLB Draft, and he made his major league debut in 2017.
In the National League, he would annually play against the San Francisco Giants, about 90 miles from his hometown. But there is nothing like really playing at home, as he will this weekend.
The Guardians have to be hoping that this visit will get Hoskins going. He signed late in spring training as a last-ditch attempt to add power to the lineup, but he had just one home run, hit back on April 12, before Friday.
Entering the game, he was batting .203 with a slugging percentage of .319, which is well below his career mark. Those struggles were even more noticeable as Kyle Manzardo has been even worse, leaving the key lineup positions of first base and DH virtually non-productive over the first month of the season.
Now, Hoskins will get another chance to impress his family and friends with games against the Athletics coming up on Saturday and Sunday.
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