| Eric Hosmer | |||||||||||||||
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 Hosmer with the San Diego Padres in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| First baseman | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1989-10-24)October 24, 1989 (age 36) South Miami, Florida, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 6, 2011, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| May 16, 2023, for the Chicago Cubs | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .276 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 198 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 893 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Eric John Hosmer (born October 24, 1989) is an American former professionalbaseballfirst baseman. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theKansas City Royals,San Diego Padres,Boston Red Sox, andChicago Cubs. Internationally, Hosmerrepresents the United States. In the2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he helped win Team USA's firstgold medal in a WBC tournament and was named to theAll-World Baseball Classic Team.
A highly touted prospect coming out ofAmerican Heritage High School in Florida, Hosmer was described as a "left-handed hitter with raw power" by scouts.[1] The Royals selected him with third overall pick in the2008 MLB draft, and he received a $6 million signing bonus. He advanced inMinor League Baseball before debuting in MLB during the 2011 season. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year balloting after the 2011 season afterhitting .293 with 19home runs in 128games. Hosmer won consecutiveGold Glove Awards from 2013 through 2015 and again in 2017, when he also won theSilver Slugger Award. He was the MVP of the2016 MLB All-Star Game, and was a member of the2015 World Series champion Royals.
After the 2017 season, Hosmer became afree agent, and signed an eight-year contract with the Padres. During the 2022 season, the Padres traded him to the Red Sox. The Red Sox released him after the season, and he signed a one-year contract with the Cubs.
Hosmer's father, Mike, is a retired firefighter, and his mother, Ileana, is a nurse.[2] His mother was born in Cuba and came to the United States at the age of seven with her family to escapeFidel Castro's regime, growing up inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] His parents met in 1979 when Mike was assigned to duty at Coral Gables Hospital inCoral Gables, Florida, where Ileana worked. They married four years later.[3] Their first son, Mike Jr., was born in 1985, and Eric was born four years later in Miami.[3]
Growing up inCooper City, Hosmer credited his family for helping him succeed as a baseball player. He began playing baseball at an early age, using aTony Gwynnteeball hitter to take practice swings.[3] His father volunteered to work 48-hour shifts in a firehouse inLiberty City to focus on his son's baseball games, which he usually coached.[3] The Hosmers traveled all over the state, and as far asCooperstown, New York, home of theBaseball Hall of Fame, to play in baseball tournaments.[3] At home, Hosmer watchedFlorida Marlins games to study the hitting techniques of the team's players in order to improve his skills.[3] His father helped him withbatting practice after finishing long shifts at work, while his mother helped with his homework and recorded every baseball game to evaluate Hosmer's baseball ability and further hone his skills.[2] By the time Hosmer reached high school, he worked out "close to seven hours a day" and mainly ate protein, which helped form his muscular build.[4] Hosmer's family hired Bladimir Marrero, a highly regarded hitting instructor, to help with their son's skills.[5]
Hosmer grew up aNew York Yankees fan.[6]
By the time Hosmer was a teenager, he was a member of severalLittle League baseball squads that won a couple of state championships.[5] He attendedAmerican Heritage School inPlantation, Florida. His parents selected American Heritage because of its rich baseball program, which was considered to be one of the best in the United States, despite the expensive tuition.[3] By Hosmer's sophomore year, he grew eight inches in size, becoming a powerful prep prospect.[5] In his senior year, Hosmerhit .470 with 11home runs, as the team was in the top 10 inUSA Today's Super 25 rankings for most of the year and won a state championship.[3][5] He attracted twenty or more MLB and college scouts who evaluated Hosmer's every move.[5] Several of his amateur home runs had popularity inYouTube, which caught the attention of sports agentScott Boras.[5] He received many achievements while in high school including being named as Florida's Baseball Player of the Year twice by theMiami Herald, a member of the Rawlings High School Gold Glove team and theAmerican Amateur Baseball CongressConnie Mack MVP award.[5] Hosmer was offered abaseball scholarship toArizona State University. Hosmer planned to attend Arizona State if negotiations with an MLB team did not go through.[4]
He was named as one of the top five prep baseball players in the country by several scouting agencies by the time he graduated in 2008, including number two byRivals.com and third by bothRISE Magazine andSports Illustrated.[5][7][8][9] As "one of high school baseball top power hitters" byscouts, and a consensus top 10 pick, Hosmer was chosen by theKansas City Royals in the first round (third overall selection) of the2008 MLB draft.[4] Hosmer remained unsigned for most of the summer while the Royalsgeneral managerDayton Moore and Boras, operating as Hosmer's agent, negotiated a deal.[4] During negotiations, Hosmer helped lead his team, based inCincinnati, to a second-place finish at the American Amateur Baseball Congress Connie Mack World Series.[clarification needed][1] The two sides agreed to a contract ten minutes before the signing deadline for drafted players on August 15, 2008. Hosmer received a $6 millionsigning bonus, the largest given to a draft pick in Royals history.[4]
Soon after signing his contract, the Royals assigned Hosmer toMinor League Baseball with theIdaho Falls Chukars of therookie levelPioneer League. Before reporting to the Chukars, Royals general manager Moore told reporters that Hosmer would not be "rushed" to reach the Majors, stating that he needed to advance though the Minor League hierarchy in his "own natural pace".[10] Hosmer played a handful of games with the Chukars before a contract dispute with another Boras client,Pittsburgh Pirates second overall pickPedro Álvarez, delayed Hosmer from playing with the team.[11] Boras had claimed that Álvarez signed his contract after the August 15 deadline had passed; thus, he would not report to the Pirates.[11] TheMajor League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance stating that Hosmer's contract was also signed past the deadline and that Major League Baseball extended the August 15 deadline without the association's permission.[11] Both sides settled the claim a month later, allowing Hosmer and Álvarez to join their respective teams.[12] Hosmer never disputed his original contract.[12] Instead of heading back to the Chukars, Hosmer was sent to theArizona Fall League to train.
In Hosmer's first full season in the minor leagues, he was assigned to theBurlington Bees in theClass AMidwest League. At Burlington, Hosmer struggled at the plate. By June 1, he had hit only one home run in 31 games while leading the team in strikeouts.[13] He missed some time with a left pinkie finger injury.[3] At the end of the season, Hosmer hit .241 with six home runs. He later referred to the 2009 season as "a tough year".[3] In 2010, Hosmer was named the seventh best first base prospect by Scout.com.[14] He started the season with the Royals'Class A-Advanced affiliate, theWilmington Blue Rocks of theCarolina League. where his struggles continued. He was soon diagnosed withastigmatism, an eye condition, and had laser surgery to correct the problem.[3] Hosmer returned to the Blue Rocks a week later; with the eye issue addressed, his hitting immediately improved.[3] By May 23 he was hitting .388 with a .571slugging percentage. He played in the 2010All-Star Futures Game, and had four hits and two RBI in a 9–1 victory.[15] For his efforts, Hosmer was promoted to theNorthwest Arkansas Naturals of theClass AATexas League on July 17, where he homered in his first at-bat.[16] During the playoffs Hosmer hit six home runs, the second highest total by a player in a single Texas League playoff series. The team went on to win the Texas League championship.[17]
The Royals'farm system was ranked number one in baseball entering the 2011 season, led by Hosmer and another top prospect,third basemanMike Moustakas.[18] Most baseball critics agreed that the Royals, a team known for mediocrity the past two decades, would be a contender within a couple of years; they had nine prospects inBaseball America's top 100, a record for the publication.[18][19] Hosmer was ranked as the best prospect among first baseman in Major League Baseball prior to the 2011 season.[20] He was also rated the eighth best overall prospect byBaseball America, and the top Royals prospect overall.[21][22] With the Royals receiving attention for their bright future, the team's general manager Dayton Moore traded their best player,Cy Young Award winnerZack Greinke, to theMilwaukee Brewers in exchange for four top prospects, putting even more emphasis on the team's future.[18] Hosmer began the season with the RoyalsClass AAA affiliate, theOmaha Storm Chasers of thePacific Coast League (PCL). When the Royals purchased Hosmer's contract on May 5, 2011, he was leading the minor leagues with a .439 batting average, and the PCL with 43hits and a .525on-base percentage.[2][23]
There's no question in my mind he won't end up being a special player because he's got all the attributes to being a special player.
The Royals recalled Hosmer on May 5, 2011.[2] Veteran catcherJason Kendall was moved to the 60-daydisabled list to make space for Hosmer on the 40-man roster.[24] He made his MLB debut at first base the following day againstOakland Athletics starterGio González, replacingKila Ka'aihue.[25] Prior to his debut, Hosmer was being touted by journalists as a "super-prospect" and the "most-hyped" rookie to debut for the Royals sinceBo Jackson.[2][26] The Royals promoted Hosmer before a mid-June deadline in which the Royals could have avoidedsalary arbitration for an extra year.[27] Hosmer went hitless in two at-bats,striking out twice. He alsowalked twice andstole a base in a 3–2 loss as the Royals had the second biggest crowd of the season.[28]
On May 11 atYankee Stadium, Hosmer started as thecleanup hitter for the Royals; he hit his first MLB home run off Yankees pitcherA. J. Burnett. In his first month with the Royals, he hit .283 with five home runs, and was named the Royals Player of the Month.[3] His batting average fell 14 points by the end of June, with managerNed Yost citing "impatience at the plate".[3] He hit a game-winning two-run home run againstcloserMatt Capps of theMinnesota Twins on July 16.[29] The home run led the Twins to replace Capps withJoe Nathan as its closer the next day.[30] In the month of July, Hosmer was named theAmerican League (AL)Rookie of the Month.[31] He had five hits, including a three-run home run againstBrad Penny in a 10–2 win against theDetroit Tigers on September 20.[32] The next day, sportswriter Ian Casselberry ofMLive.com called Hosmer a "Tiger killer" because of his statistics against the Tigers, which included a .346 batting average with four home runs that season.[33] He led all rookies in most major batting categories for September, earning him a second Rookie of the Month award.[34]
Hosmer finished third inAL Rookie of the Year voting behindMark Trumbo of theLos Angeles Angels and winnerJeremy Hellickson of theTampa Bay Rays. He hit .293 with 19 home runs and 78runs batted in (RBIs) in 128 games.[35] Yost praised Hosmer, and another rookie, catcherSalvador Pérez, calling them "future perennial All-Star players".[36]
On February 18, 2012, the Royals announced they had signed Hosmer to a one-year contract for the 2012 season. No financial terms of the deal were released.[37] During spring training, Hosmer led all players with 29 RBIs and had aslugging percentage of .714.[38] Discussing Hosmer's spring training, RoyalsHall of FamerGeorge Brett said, "He's a baseball player... He acts like a baseball player. And boy, he's going to be a damn good one, too."[38] By opening day, the Kansas City media was hyping Hosmer as the "face of the franchise", and the city's " next future sports star".[39][40] He started at first base on opening day against the L.A. Angels, going 0-for-4. He hit a home run in a 6–3 victory the next day but later struggled, hitting below .200 for the first couple of weeks of the season as the Royals endured an 11-game losing streak entering April 24.[41] He ended the season with a .232/.304/.359slash line to go along with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs.[35]
In 2013, Hosmer's defense earned him his firstGold Glove Award.[42] He finished the year with a .302 batting average, 17 home runs, and 79 RBI.[35]
On July 20, 2014, in a game against theBoston Red Sox, Hosmer was hit in the hand by a pitch fromJon Lester. At first, he was only day-to-day with a bruised hand. However, on July 31, in a game against theMinnesota Twins, he aggravated the injury on a checked swing in the fourth inning.X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of the third finger on his right hand. Hosmer missed four weeks due to the injury. He finished the season batting .270 with nine home runs and 58 RBIs.[35]
In the 2014 postseason, Hosmer helped lead the Royals to a record-setting run, winning three consecutive extra-inning games. After getting on base five times in thewildcard game against theOakland A's, Hosmer also slammed a game-winning, two-run homer in Game 2 of theALDS against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In doing so, he became the first player in MLB history to hit both a triple and a home run during extra innings in one year's postseason.[43]
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In the early morning hours of October 6, after the Royals had completed their sweep of theAngels, Hosmer posted onTwitter, inviting Kansas City fans to come out and celebrate with him at a downtown bar, thePower and Light District. Eventually, it was reported, "...(h)ordes showed up, and many of the fans ended up with free drinks as Hosmer...decided to help pay for an open bar for an hour. With several teammates, he also sprayed some champagne into the crowd."[44]
The Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in the2014 American League Championship Series, as Hosmer contributed with a .400 batting average for the series. In the2014 World Series, Hosmer batted .250, as the Royals lost to theSan Francisco Giants in seven games.[45]
On February 18, 2015, Hosmer and the Royals agreed to a $13.9 million, two-year contract. He would earn $5.65 million during the2015 season and $8.25 million during the 2016 season, and would be eligible for arbitration again in 2017.[46] During the2015 season, Hosmer had his best year to that point, with a .297batting average, 18home runs and 93 RBIs.[47] Hosmer also recorded the final putout of theAL Central and theAmerican League Championship Series clinching games. On October 23, Hosmer tiedGeorge Brett for the most RBIs in the postseason (23) in Royals' franchise history when he singledLorenzo Cain home from first base representing the go-ahead run in Game 6 of theALCS.[48] In Game 1 of the2015 World Series, Hosmer overtookBrett's record for the most RBIs in the postseason with a walk-off sacrifice fly to bring inAlcides Escobar in the 14th inning, representing Hosmer's 25th postseason RBI and helping atone for an eighth-inning error that helped the Mets take a one-run lead.[49] Hosmer starred again in Game 2 with two hits, a run scored, and two RBIs to help the Royals take a 7–1 win and a 2–0 series lead. On November 1 in Game 5, Hosmer took advantage of a scouting report on the Mets'Lucas Duda to score the tying run in the ninth inning: on a groundout to first, Hosmer broke from third to the plate and beat a throw which was offline. This eventually led to the Royals' win to clinch the Series.[50][51]
Hosmer won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award for the 2015 season.[52]
Hosmer was named the 2016MLB All-Star Game MVP, played in San Diego on July 12. In the second inning of theAll-Star Game, he hit a game-tying home run off of former teammateJohnny Cueto.[53] In 158 games of 2016, Hosmer finished with a .266 batting average, a career-high 25 home runs, and 104 RBI.[35]
In 2017, Hosmer played all 162 regular season games, finishing with a career-high .318 batting average while tying his personal best 25 home runs. He added 94 RBI along with a career-best .385on-base percentage. He won his fourth career Gold Glove Award.[54] After the season, Hosmer became afree agent for the first time of his career.[55]
On February 19, 2018, Hosmer signed an eight-year, $144 million contract with theSan Diego Padres, the largest contract in Padres franchise history at the time.[56] Hosmer changed his jersey to No. 30 in honor of former Royals teammateYordano Ventura, who had died a year earlier. Hosmer's previous No. 35 was alreadyretired by the Padres forRandy Jones.[57] In his first season as a Padre, Hosmer hit .253 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. In 2019, Hosmer slashed .265/.310/.425 with 22 home runs and 99 RBI as the primary cleanup hitter for the Padres.[58] He led all NL first basemen in errors, with 14.[59]
On August 20, 2020, Hosmer hit agrand slam against theTexas Rangers, making the Padres the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games, following grand slams byFernando Tatís Jr.,Wil Myers andManny Machado.[60] Hosmer finished the shortened 2020 season slashing .287/.333/.517 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games.[35]
During the 2021 season, Hosmer played in 151 games for the Padres, posting a .269/.337/.395 slash line with 12 home runs and 65 RBIs.[35] In 2022, he appeared in 90 games for San Diego through the start of August, batting .272 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs.[35]
On August 2, 2022, Hosmer and two minor-league players (Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier) plus cash considerations were traded to theBoston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league pitcherJay Groome.[61] Hosmer was originally slated to be included in a blockbuster trade to theWashington Nationals forJuan Soto; however, Hosmer exercised his no-trade clause against the deal.[62] Upon joining the Red Sox, Hosmer played as the team's primary first baseman. He was placed on the injured list on August 23, due to low back inflammation,[63] and reactivated on October 3 for the final series of the season.[64]
In 14 games for Boston, Hosmer batted .244/.320/.311 with four RBIs.[35] On December 16, he wasdesignated for assignment by the Red Sox following the acquisition ofWyatt Mills.[65] Hosmer was released on December 22.[66]
On January 13, 2023, Hosmer signed a one-year contract with theChicago Cubs.[67] He played in 31 games for the Cubs, with a .234 batting average, two home runs and 14 RBI before he was designated for assignment on May 19.[68] Hosmer was released by the Cubs on May 25.[69]
On February 21, 2024, Hosmer announced his retirement from playing in anInstagram post while also announcing the creation of his own media company, MoonBall Media.[70][71] Although he had opportunities to continue playing, Hosmer felt that both his focus and physical abilities were not where they should be to justify continuing his playing career.[72]
Hosmer played for Team USA in the2017 World Baseball Classic. He hit the go-ahead home run in a second-round comeback win over the team from Venezuela.[73] Following the conclusion of the tournament, he was named to the2017 All-World Baseball Classic team.[74]
In October 2020, Hosmer became engaged toFox News sports hostKacie McDonnell.[75] The two married on December 31, 2021. They announced in April 2022 that they were expecting their first child later that year.[76] Their son was born in September 2022.[72]
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