Eric Hosmer, First Base


Date of Birth: 10/24/1989
Birthplace: South Miami, Florida

Eric Hosmer, first baseman, started playing baseball as a child. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2008, right after he completed high school. He spent his first three years with the Royals in the minor leagues.

Hosmer made his first appearance with the Royals on May 6, 2011. In 2011, his rookie season, Hosmer batted .293 with 153 hits, 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 128 games.

Hosmer had a strong 2013 season, batting .302 with 188 hits, 34 doubles, 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 159 games. He also had a good defensive season and he won his first Gold Glove award. In 158 games, he had 122 assists, 1,205 putouts, 118 double plays, 8 errors, and a .994 fielding percentage.

Hosmer finished the 2014 season with 136 hits, 35 doubles, and a .270 batting average in 131 games. He fared better in the postseason, finishing with 20 hits, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBIs, and a .351 batting average in 57 at-bats in 15 games.

Hosmer won his second consecutive Gold Glove in 2014. In 130 games as a first baseman, he made 88 assists, 85 double plays, 1,043 putouts, and 10 errors and he had a .991 fielding percentage.

Hosmer and the Royals agreed to a two-year, $13.9 million contract on February 18, 2015. He had a strong 2015 season, finishing with 178 hits, 33 doubles, 18 home runs, a career high 93 RBIs, and a .297 batting average in 158 games. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove as a first baseman. He had a .997 fielding percentage and he made 101 assists, 121 double plays, 1,261 putouts, and 4 errors in 154 games. In 66 at-bats in 16 postseason games, he batted .212 with 14 hits, including 2 doubles and a home run, 1 stolen base, and 17 RBIs. His 17 RBIs was a record high for a Royals player in the postseason (previous record holder was George Brett).

In 2016, Hosmer batted .266 in 158 games. He had 161 hits, 24 doubles, and career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (104). Defensively, as the Royals' first baseman in 154 games, he made 74 assists, 118 double plays, 1,240 putouts, and 6 errors.

Hosmer had a strong 2017 season, batting a career high .318 in 162 games. He had a career high 192 hits, 31 doubles, 25 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 104 strikeouts to 66 walks. Defensively, as the Royals' first baseman in 157 games, he made 75 assists, 124 double plays, 1,235 putouts, and 4 errors.

Hosmer won his first Silver Slugger award and his fourth Gold Glove in 2017.

Hosmer elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed with the San Diego Padres on February 19, 2018. He finished the 2018 season with 155 hits, 31 doubles, 18 home runs, 69 RBIs, 142 strikeouts to 62 walks, and a .253 batting average in 157 games. Defensively, as the Padres' first baseman in 157 games, he made 106 assists, 113 double plays, 1,231 putouts, and 4 errors, and he had a .997 fielding percentage.

Hosmer finished the 2019 season with 164 hits, 29 doubles, 22 home runs, 99 RBIs, 63 strikeouts to 40 walks, and a .265 batting average in 160 games. As the Padres' first baseman in 157 games, he made 106 assist, 82 double plays, 1,128 putouts, and 14 errors.

Hosmer played in 38 games in 2020. He finished the season with 41 hits, 6 doubles, 9 home runs, 36 RBIs, 28 strikeouts to 9 walks, and a .287 batting average. Defensively, he played 32 games at first base. He was the DH in 5 games. In the postseason, he had 4 hits and a .160 batting average in 25 at-bats in 6 games.

Hosmer finished the 2021 season with 137 hits, 28 doubles, 65 RBIs, 99 strikeouts to 48 walks, and a .269 batting average in 151 games. Defensively, as a first baseman in 131 games, he made 92 assists, 97 double plays, 909 putouts, and 7 errors.

Hosmer was traded to the Boston Red Sox on August 2, 2022. He was released on December 22, 2022. He signed with the Chicago Cubs on January 13, 2023. He was released on May 25, 2023.

Career batting statistics for Hosmer through 2021 include:

  • 1,554 games played
  • 1,629 hits
  • 300 doubles
  • 188 home runs
  • 835 RBIs
  • 1,146 strikeouts to 519 walks
  • .277 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Hosmer at first base through 2021 include:

  • 1,505 games played
  • 964 assists
  • 1,115 double plays
  • 11,746 putouts
  • 76 errors
  • .994 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Eric Hosmer
ESPN - Eric Hosmer