The Cleveland Guardians’ season opener went just about as well as anyone could have hoped, other than a potential setback for starting pitcher Tanner Bibee. They completed a 6-4 victory against the Seattle Mariners with notable performances by two newcomers to the lineup.
Somewhat overshadowed by the two home runs from rookie Chase DeLauter was the three-hit Guardians debut by Rhys Hoskins. Batting sixth as the starting first baseman, Hoskins had two singles, a walk, and a very well-struck double.
With that extra-base hit in his first Cleveland at-bat, Hoskins already has a career milestone with the Guardians, as it was the hardest hit ball of his MLB career.
“Welcome to Cleveland Rhys Hoskins! This double is the hardest hit ball of Rhys Hoskins’ MLB career (112.3 mph). Talk about starting your Cleveland tenure with a bang,” Potosky posted on X.
Welcome to Cleveland Rhys Hoskins!
This double is the hardest hit ball of Rhys Hoskins’ MLB career (112.3 mph).
Talk about starting your Cleveland tenure with a bang! 💥#GuardsBall | @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/nH8DgMTFVf
— Luke Potosky (@LukePotosky) March 27, 2026
Facing Mariners starter Logan Gilbert with one out in the top of the second, Hoskins doubled for his first hit in a Cleveland uniform. The drive down the left-field line into the corner impressively came on an 0-2 pitch.
Later in the game, Hoskins led off the fifth inning with a single and scored on a two-run double by Brayan Rocchio that gave Cleveland the lead. In the sixth, Hoskins singled, and in the eighth, he walked, ending his debut with a 1.000 batting average.
Hoskins was a bit surprisingly used at first base, with Kyle Manzardo serving as the DH, which was the opposite of the alignment that was used during most of spring training. Manager Stephen Vogt explained that by saying that Manzardo will be in the field a lot in the coming days, with more right-handed pitchers coming up, and the matchup against Gilbert was a good spot to get Hoskins into the lineup.
The 33-year-old was signed near the start of spring training after the Guardians failed to make any significant additions to their offense leading up to that point of the offseason, and though Hoskins did not hit a home run, the fact that he could reach a career-high exit velocity in his first at-bat of the season is an encouraging sign looking ahead.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Why Guardians Didn’t Promote Top Prospect
