Eric Hosmer

Eric John Hosmer (born October 24, 1989) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, and the Boston Red Sox.

A highly touted prospect coming out of American Heritage High School in Florida, Hosmer was described as a "left-handed hitter with raw power" by scouts. The Royals selected him with third overall pick in the 2008 MLB draft, and he received a $6 million signing bonus. He advanced in Minor League Baseball before debuting in MLB during the 2011 season. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year balloting after the 2011 season after hitting .293 with 19 home runs in 128 games. Hosmer won consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2013 through 2015 and again in 2017, when he also won the Silver Slugger Award. He was the MVP of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game, and was a member of the 2015 World Series champions.

After the 2017 season, Hosmer became a free agent, and signed an eight-year contract with the Padres. During the 2022 season, the Padres traded him to the Red Sox, and the Red Sox released him after the season and he signed with the Cubs.

Early life

Hosmer's father, Mike, is a retired firefighter, and his mother, Ileana, is a nurse. His mother was born in Cuba and came to the United States at the age of seven with her family to escape Fidel Castro's regime, growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents met in 1979 when Mike was assigned to duty at Coral Gables Hospital in Coral Gables, Florida, where Ileana worked. They married four years later. Their first son Mike Jr. was born in 1985, and Eric was born four years later in Miami.

Growing up in Cooper City, Hosmer credited his family for helping him succeed as a baseball player. He began playing baseball at an early age, using a Tony Gwynn teeball hitter to take practice swings. His father volunteered to work 48-hour shifts in a firehouse in Liberty City to focus on his son's baseball games, which he usually coached. The Hosmers traveled all over the state, and as far as Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, to play in baseball tournaments. At home, Hosmer watched Florida Marlins games to study the hitting techniques of the team's players in order to improve his skills. His father helped him with batting 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. 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. Hosmer's family hired Bladimir Marrero, a highly regarded hitting instructor, to help with their son's skills. His brother Mike also played baseball, receiving a scholarship to Florida State University. He was never interested in becoming a professional baseball player, however, and is a stock broker in Miami.

Hosmer grew up a New York Yankees fan.

High school career

By the time Hosmer was a teenager, he was a member of several Little League