In the shortened 2020 season, one of the bright spots of the Philadelphia Phillies was their young third baseman, Alec Bohm.
Alec shined after being called up to the big league roster. In just 44 games, Bohm hit .338/.400/.481/.881 with 11 doubles and 23 RBIs. Bohm finished tied for second place in National League Rookie of the Year voting, tied with Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth and losing to Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams.
Phillies fans were high on Alec at the end of the year and expected great things from the tall third baseman in 2021. While the fans knew he wasn’t the most outstanding fielder, Bohm’s bat is what stood out. The right-hander’s sweet swing was a thing of beauty, and the Phillies brass anticipated that Bohm would be a fixture in the Phillies 2021 lineup.
Highs and Lows
As the 2021 season rolled around, Alec Bohm made the Phillies Opening Day roster and started at third base to begin the year. As the first few weeks of the season went along, Bohm began to show a little promise at third base by making some splashy plays. However, his overall fielding prowess was still not up to par. To make matters worse, at the dish, Bohm struggled to get off to a hot start. The infamous sophomore slump was setting in for the young Phillies prospect. Alec had a slash line of .207/.245/.304/.549 in March and April and a slash line of .200/.252/.300/.552 in May.
A cold start to year two left Alec Bohm spiraling just a bit. Bohm seemed to have lost his way, and his confidence was shaken. You can tell by watching that he was no longer comfortable in the batter’s box. More and more, Bohm was being beat by fastballs up in the zone and could not seem to catch up. One of Alec’s most promising traits is the ability to spray the ball to all fields. This ability was occurring less and less the more he stood at the plate.
While the season looked bleak, there was still some hope. Alec Bohm started to find his stride as the warm months approached. Alec slashed .329/.384/.380/.763 in June and .296/.387/.481/.869 in July. After testing positive for Covid, Bohm missed significant time, which would essentially end his hot streak. Alec Bohm moved around between the Phillies and the IronPigs for the remainder of the year, trying to work on his game.
The Phuture
After having a solid start to his career in 2020 and somewhat of a sophomore slump in 2021, 2022 will be very telling for Alec Bohm and the Philadelphia Phillies’ future. The kid can flat-out hit, and there’s no denying that he still has what it takes to hit the big leagues. Lowering his strikeout percentage, working some better counts, and putting the bat on the ball up in the zone will be very important for Alec Bohm.
It remains to be seen if the designated hitter will come to the National League in 2022. Still, until any move is finalized, Alec needs to continue to improve his defense at third base and first base to give Joe Girardi more versatility with his lineups moving forward. Spring training will be the first time Phillies fans get a look at Alec Bohm for this upcoming year.
We can only hope for improvement from our young prospect, and I believe he has what it takes to be Phillie great.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
