A new leader has emerged in the Brewers' clubhouse

With the off-season departure of Willy Adames, the Brewers lost a strong leader both in the clubhouse and on the field. Between his upbeat attitude, desire to play every day, showing up early to put in extra work, and producing both at the plate and defensively at a premier position, Adames set the tone for what was expected of everyone.

Adames' leadership was apparent in several ways, but the professionalism and energy he brought to the organization are qualities that are difficult to replace. Through Milwaukee’s first 44 games without him, the team has experienced its share of ups and downs, and it’s become clear that a new voice needed to emerge in his absence.

After a pair of closed door meetings, Rhys Hoskins has emerged as the new leader in the Brewers clubhouse

Towards the end of April, Milwaukee lost three of four games in San Francisco, and a closed-door meeting ensued. More recently, after being shutout by the Cleveland Guardians in back-to-back games and for the fourth time in the month of May, another exclusive gathering took place.

Speaking out after the meeting was veteran infielder Rhys Hoskins, who was one of the players leading the discussion behind closed doors. Hoskins told reporters one of the key talking points was "Just figuring out how we can kind of come together, play with that energy, and some of the passion that we played with, I think especially early on last year."

Hoskins' message got across.

The day following their second closed-door meeting, Sal Frelick sparked the offense with a game-tying home run and an emphatic helmet throw in the dugout that woke the offense up. Milwaukee's offense exploded after Frelick's long ball and celebration while avoiding a sweep in Cleveland by scoring nine runs.

Additionally, Hoskins backed up his words with a great performance. He reached base five times, had five RBIs, collected four hits, and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Hoskins has quietly been one of the team's leaders at the plate this year, accumulating an .858 OPS that ranks sixth best among all qualified first basemen in the league.

While it was just one game, it was exactly the kind of response the Brewers needed. Hoskins, who has emerged as a leading voice in the clubhouse, gave an encouraging postgame interview following the Brewers' win in Wednesday's series finale. Talking to Brewers' sideline reporter, Sophia Minnaert, Hoskins said, "I think it's just re-learning that we have that in us. This is more who we are than what we've been these last couple of weeks. And sometimes that's just how this game goes, right? I always tell these guys 'you just gotta keep walking up to the box and competing.'"

Hoskins’ comments reflect a team determined to stay united and focused, even in the face of adversity. At a time like this, that is exactly the type of voice the Brewers need in order to get back to their winning ways. As a veteran who has been through the ups and downs of a 162-game season many times, Hoskins is the perfect guy to emerge as the Brewers clubhouse leader.