Former minor league star Dylan Cozens now chasing NFL career

Dylan Cozens is walking away from baseball. (Cheryl Pursell)

Days after Rhys Hoskins turned in arguably the best game of his career, his former Reading “Bash Brother” is stepping away from baseball to pursue another dream.

Cozens – who set a Double-A franchise record with 40 home runs in 2016 – says he’s going to attempt to play in the NFL:

Despite shining at the Double-A level, Cozens will walk away from baseball having played in just 27 major league games, which came with the Phillies between 2018 and 2019. Across 39 at-bats in the majors, Cozens hit .154 with one home run, two RBIs and 24 strikeouts.

Now 27, Cozens had been playing for the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. He was slashing .177/.343/.329 with two home runs, seven RBIs and 43 strikeouts in 79 at-bats this season.

The Phillies selected Cozens in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Chaparral High School in Arizona. The 6-foot-5, 245 pound slugger had a monster senior year playing football, recording 8 1/2 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss as an edge rusher. Cozens had verbally committed to playing football at the University of Arizona before opting to turn professional in baseball with the Phillies instead.