Rhys Hoskins is heading back into free agency with a very specific selling point: he still crushes the ball in the air.
That’s the trait MLB.com’s Jake Greenspan zeroed in on when he sorted the market by standout skills, and Hoskins popped because of how often he barrels baseballs. Greenspan wrote, “If you’re looking for smashed baseballs in the air: Barrel rate - 12.6% Rhys Hoskins,” and added, “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.”
That barrel rate - 12.6 percent this season - was one of the strongest numbers among available free-agent hitters who lift the ball. And even in a rough overall season, the power was still there in Cleveland.
Hoskins played 95 games for the Guardians and finished with 13 home runs, 38 RBIs and 47 walks. The rest of the line was tough to stomach. He hit .179 with a .306 on-base percentage and a .682 OPS, and he struck out 100 times in 317 plate appearances.
The bigger picture is a little more encouraging for teams weighing a short-term gamble. Since returning from the torn ACL that cost him the 2023 season, Hoskins has been a league-average hitter, carrying a 100 OPS+ over those three seasons. He hit 26 home runs with 82 RBIs for Milwaukee in 2024, then put up a .748 OPS in 90 games with the Brewers in 2025 before ending up in Cleveland.
Before the injury, though, Hoskins had already built the kind of resume that keeps teams interested. The Phillies drafted him in the fifth round in 2014 out of Sacramento State, and he broke through in 2017 with 18 homers in only 50 games, good enough to finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
He went on to hit at least 29 home runs in three different seasons in Philadelphia. For his career, he has 199 home runs and an .809 OPS.
There’s also a clubhouse element to his value. Chase DeLauter said Hoskins was one of the veterans he leaned on for advice early in his rookie season, and the first baseman quickly earned respect in a young clubhouse.
A reunion with Cleveland looks unlikely. First base remains one of the Guardians’ biggest needs, but the front office is expected to chase a more consistent bat, and top prospect Ralphy Velazquez is close.
Still, Hoskins should have a market. Teams hunting for right-handed power on a cheap, short-term deal could do a lot worse than a hitter who still barrels the ball the way he does. He turns 34 in March, and the next contract figures to be modest, but the swing that can change a game in one shot is still there.
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Gavin Williams Just Became A Bigger Guardians Question Than Expected
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Guardians Bullpen Need Has Put A Proven Veteran On Clevelands Radar
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For the Guardians, the fit is easy to see. They have room to add to the relief group and have been looking for depth that can soak up meaningful innings, especially from the left side. Hill is also being pursued by the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Dodgers, which suggests this could turn into a broader market for a pitcher who still has value even if he is no longer at his peak. [Read more 🡒]