The Phillies' season felt dead in the water when Bryce Harper suffered a fractured left thumb, necessitating surgery. That may still prove to be true over the coming weeks, but the Phils, in defiance of everything we've known about them for the last decade, are hanging tough.
Ahead of the team's three-game home set with the lowly Nationals on Tuesday night, the Phillies find themselves just a single game back in the Wild Card race. A series win over the Cardinals has the Phils not just surviving, but thriving with Rhys Hoskins stepping up and absolutely crushing it.
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We had June Kyle Schwarber going wild. Do we have July Hoskins now? I've written frequently about Hoskins' early season struggles, but credit it where it's due: Hoskins is red hot for a Phillies squad in dire need of big bats. He's my pick for the person who won the week in Philly sports in my super subjective methodology.
Summer Heat Wave 🔥
The Phillies played six games over the last week, going 3-3. During that stretch, Hoskins hit .421 with an on-base percentage of .520 and an "I can't believe this is real" 1.158 slugging percentage. He went yard four times too while miraculously striking out only three times.
He is MASHING:
The Two Rhyses ✌️
Here are how Hoskins' stats in April and May compare to how he's performed in June and July:
| Month | G | PA | OPS | HR | Phillies W-L |
| April-May | 49 | 208 | .708 | 8 | 20-29 |
| June-July | 30 | 129 | 1.090 | 9 | 21-9 |
I'm not sure I've seen a player of Hoskins' caliber at the plate go oh-so cold and then go frantically hot in such rapid succession.
July Hoskins ☀️
Look at Hoskins' career splits by month:
| Month | G | PA | OPS | HR |
| March/April | 104 | 373 | .880 | 22 |
| May | 107 | 390 | .756 | 16 |
| June | 98 | 364 | .885 | 27 |
| July | 77 | 275 | 1.012 | 19 |
| August | 109 | 383 | .891 | 29 |
| September/October | 95 | 345 | .773 | 22 |
July Hoskins! Perhaps the Phillies can one day have a non-Bryce player be good for an entire season rather than just a month.
Person Who Almost Won the Week: Daryl Morey 💻
If I woke up one morning this past weekend to the news of Kevin Durant coming to Philadelphia, Morey would've locked up this award for the remainder of 2022.
Last Week's Winner: The Phillies' bullpen.
Who Won the Week 2022 Tally:
Bryce Harper: 2
Howie Roseman: 2
Rhys Hoskins: 2
Tyrese Maxey: 1
Tobias Harris: 1
Joel Embiid: 1
Ray Didinger: 1
Rob Thomson: 1
Phillies bullpen: 1
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