When the 2019 season began, hopes were high for Rhys Hoskins.
No longer would he have to play left field, a failed experiment in 2018 that everyone assumed forced Hoskins to take some of his focus off his offensive development in order to learn a position for which he was ill-equipped. Instead, at his natural first base, the assumption was that he would be able to concentrate on being a hitter first, an exciting thought given his plate discipline and obvious power potential.
For much of 2019, the plan appeared to work. In 71 games through June 19, Hoskins hit .