The Eric Hosmer Discourse has faded in the years since he signed with the San Diego Padres and especially since the Padres jettisoned him, dooming Hosmer to be a nomad. With this hindsight, most of the previously controversial parts of the Hosmer Discourse have become less so, the big one being that Hosmer just wasn’t that good.
Yes, Hosmer had big moments. Memorable moments. Wonderful moments. But those were mostly just that—moments. Hosmer was a limited and streaky hitter whose tools were flashy but whose production was mediocre. Per Fangraphs’ version of Wins Above Replacement, Hosmer ranked 107th out of 129 players with at least 3000 plate appearances in his time as a Royal.