Watch CBS News

Rhys Hoskins Gets Candid About Phillies Stardom, What's Next For Ball Club

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Rhys Hoskins has electrified the Phillies fan base while standing in awe of the Brotherly Love.

"Just to see the support from a wide variety of people around Philly has been pretty surprising," said Hoskins.

But what's more surprising is how a rookie can have a Ruthian impact on a team in the middle of a massive rebuild.

Since an August 10 call-up from Triple-A, no player has been more dynamic.

Who's the fastest player to 17 career home runs?  Not Babe Ruth. Not Hank Aaron. It's a 2014 5th round rookie from Sacramento State.

At 6'4, 225 pounds, Rhys is hard to miss in person. And he's even hard to miss on your Twitter feed. Over the last couple of months, he spent many nights trending in Philly.

But the 24-year-old appears to be immune to the new found fame.

"We grew up with it…guys my age grew up with it," Hoskins says. "I think we are a little bit more used to that platform. I think it's something I try to have fun with."

Hoskins finished his brief rookie season with 18 home runs and 48 RBIs. He learned more than you can imagine.

Rhys Hoskins
Credit: CBS3

"You have to be stubborn to a routine and what makes you feel good come game time. Keeping your body right and making good decisions, good disciplined decisions about what's going to make you feel good today, but also tomorrow," he says.

And speaking of tomorrow, what's next for the Phils? They split the final 70 games and showed competitive spirit. They're in the market for a new manager and Rhys has one in mind--his former skipper, Dustin Wathan at Triple-A Lehigh Valley

"We've developed a close personal relationship outside of baseball," said Hoskins.

No matter who's in the manager's office, Rhys is excited about the future, while taking lessons learned from the past.

When Rhys was in high school, he lost his mother to cancer. Now, he plays with an angel in the outfield.

"I would hope that she would be proud. She always used to tell me to make sure that I stay humble so I'm sure that would lead off most conversations," he says.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.