Mar 31, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa (33) hits a hits a two RBI double during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
You may not know this, but Edmundo Sosa is a basketball fan.
After the Phillies 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in their home opener on Monday which was sparked by Sosa's go-ahead, two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Phillies versatile infielder was a post game guest on the television broadcast as the star of the game.
In that interview, he compared himself to a sixth man in basketball.
Asked about that comment later, he seemed concerned that he may have overstated his value on a team of 26 players as compared to a team of 15, but Sosa was spot on.
He's not a starter, but he's that first guy the Phillies count on when they need someone off the bench.
And countless times Sosa has come through when the Phillies have needed him most.
Monday was just the latest example.
The Phillies are at their best when Edmundo Sosa is providing a spark. pic.twitter.com/UcCVpsNyeu
But it goes back to when the Phillies acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline in 2022 in exchange for Jojo Romero. He was an instant upgrade to the bench. He was an even bigger upgrade defensively, especially in the middle of the infield.
"I was having a bit of a rough stretch in my career and not getting many opportunities with my previous organization," Sosa said, through an interpreter. "The Phillies just embraced me. They treated me like a superstar from the first day. That's something that played a lot into embracing this role - giving the best of myself here and working every day.
"You know, it may be that in another organization, I might have more playing time, but I'm here. I'm playing here. I'm focused here and I'm working here every day, That's all I'm thinking about - that and bringing a World Series to this beautiful city that deserves it."
Last year he filled in brilliantly when Trea Turner had to miss extended time with a hamstring injury. In fact, Sosa was one of the Phillies best offensive players in his time as the starting shortstop.
On Monday he was in the lineup again as Turner was sitting out one more day with back spasms.
All Sosa did was hit two doubles, including the big blow in the seventh inning of Colorado's best reliever Victor Vodnik.
The Phillies were trailing 1-0 at the time, and Turner worked a walk pinch hitting for Brandon Marsh against a lefty. The Rockies turned to Vodnik, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson opted to stick with Sosa rather than turn to his lefty pinch hitter, Kody Clemens, against a righty.
It was more of a feel decision by the manager, and it was a good feeling on his part.
"Sosa's been swinging the bat well, so I decided to stay with him," Thomson said. "He's extremely important because you're going to have injuries over the course of the year and he can fill in almost anywhere (in the infield) other than first base. When he gets a chance to play, he plays well."
Now in his fourth season with the Phillies its starting to become fair to wonder if he's the best regular bench player the Phillies have had in the last half century.
Greg Dobbs had one great year. Tomas Perez was beloved, but not really up to the same caliber of play as Sosa. You have to go back to guys like Greg Gross and Del Unser, and even then, both were good pinch hitters, but not really the same kind of super sub that Sosa has been - and continues to be - for the Phillies.
Kyle Schwarber on Edmundo Sosa: “He’s a one-of-a-kind special talent.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/QeMjfJXFlr
"When Trea goes down, that's not ideal," said Kyle Schwarber, who followed up Sosa's double with a rocket off the batter's eye that stretched the Phillies lead to 4-1. "You have a guy (though) that can step right in and it feels like you're not missing a beat when he's performing the way he's performing.
"He's a one-of-a-kind, special talent."
And really, when you look back at the Phillies history the past 50 years, he's one-of-one when it comes to bench players. And that's a great asset for the Phillies to have.
