Rhys Hoskins made his major league debut on a pleasant August evening in Philadelphia. It was the kind of night that, not long ago, would have coaxed a capacity crowd to come to Citizens Bank Park and cheer on the heroes who delivered the city its only major championship in the last 34 years.

Those heroes are gone now. The fans have largely disappeared from the stadium as well, the roars they once generated dwindling to silent indifference or mild annoyance that occasionally rises to half-hearted applause when the latest curiosity from Allentown makes his first appearance in the big leagues. There has simply been little to enjoy about the Phillies since the franchise commenced its long journey to the basement of the National League after the abbreviated 2011 playoff run.

The offense remains largely punchless; the 2017 squad has barely cleared the low bar that the awful 2016 team set. Maikel Franco remains a disappointment; a .224 batting average and -1 WAR would be unacceptable for a bench player, let alone the putative cornerstone of the franchise. Tommy Joseph has shown he has some pop in his bat, but he’s hitting under .200 against lefthanders. Odubel Herrera has been playing well, but a recent trip to the disabled list has detoured his 2017 campaign. Aaron Altherr can’t stay healthy. Cameron Rupp looks like the cleanup hitter on your beer league softball team. César Hernandez has proven a capable contact hitter, but his inability to steal bases at a consistent rate mitigates his impact as a leadoff man. Nick Williams is still young and unproven. And the rest of the bunch are too unremarkable at the plate to warrant specific mention.

The inexperienced pitching staff, which entered the season as a potential source of strength, has crumbled under the bright lights and heightened expectations of major league play. With the notable exception of Aaron Nola, none of the young hurlers have distinguished themselves.

But there always seems to be some player making his way through the minor league pipeline, just a season or two away from the Phillies roster. We just have to be patient. Trust the process, as the Prophet of Palo Alto, Sam Hinkie, used to say, and his fervent disciples still repeat as they vouch for the wisdom of strategic losing and deliberate roster construction.

You’ll have to pardon Phillies fans who have grown accustomed to long stretches of subpar baseball interrupted by the occasional run of success for not matching the unbridled enthusiasm of Tom McCarthy every time the “next great Phillie” arrives from Triple A. We’ve seen too many players fail to reach their potential. Maikel Franco and Dom Brown immediately come to mind, and it’s not hard to remember the hype that surrounded Darin “Babe” Ruf when he received his first call-up.

Thus, it was easy to dismiss Hoskins and the 29 home runs, .284 batting average, and 91 RBI he accrued down on the farm. We’d seen this movie before. We’ll likely see it again.

Hoskins stood in for his first major league plate appearance against Mets flamethrower Jacob deGrom. The fans in attendance summoned the energy to clap, but their noise could not overpower the Bob Marley walk-up music that accompanied the rookie outfielder.

Hoskins struck out looking.

Hoskins managed just one hit in 12 official at-bats in the homestand against the Mets. It was an inauspicious start.

The team headed west for the next series of games, and Hoskins found his swing. He made notorious pitchers’ havens in San Diego and San Francisco look like bandboxes. When the Phillies returned home, the power surge continued. Hoskins became the first player in baseball history to hit 10 home runs in his first 20 games. He hit number 11 in game 18. Hoskins had a 13-game hitting streak that ended on Friday night. He responded by finishing a triple shy of the cycle in a three-hit game on Saturday.

The encomiums have poured in during Hoskins’ hot stretch. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick wants to know: “Is Rhys Hoskins the next face of the Phillies?” The Washington Post invoked Ted Williams when discussing the rookie’s run.

This is all par for the course in the world of sports journalism and fandom. We love to build pedestals for budding stars. If they meet expectations, it’s a great story. If they fall, it’s a better story.

This time, I’m going to shed the cynicism I have worn like a badge for the 25-odd years I’ve watched the Phillies and fall in line with the Hoskins zeitgeist. For the first time since Cole Hamels was traded, Chase Utley was shipped to Los Angeles, and the ghost of Ryan Howard was exorcised from Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have a marketable player. Hoskins has given us all a reason to re-engage with this pitiful baseball team… and buy shirts:

I’m tired of watching losing baseball. I’m tired of lamenting what was and spending time thinking about what’s next. Hoskins has given Philly sports fans a reason to enjoy what’s happening now.

Who cares if Hoskins can’t keep up this torrid pace? Of course the gravity baseball imposes on its players will eventually bring the young slugger back down to earth. It’s a game of failure, after all.

Let’s just ride the wave instead of fretting over the rapid approach of the shore.

We’ve earned it.