The Most Encouraging Part of Alec Bohm's Opening Day Bomb for Phillies

It's hard to have a more eventful Opening Day than Alec Bohm, who silenced his doubters for at least a night or a week with a three-run homer from the cleanup spot, then declined comment when asked about a Philadelphia Inquirer story that was published during the game detailing a lawsuit Bohm has filed against his parents.

Bohm's lawsuit against his parents alleges that they mismanaged his finances, defrauding him of millions of dollars. Neither side is likely to do much talking while the legal proceedings play out.

Bohm's bat did the talking on Thursday, though. He caught a high cutter out over the plate and smashed it the opposite way for a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nate Eovaldi had just struck out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper with two aboard, and Bohm picked them up.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE BOHM! pic.twitter.com/Yx7NF9WjIl
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 26, 2026

All natural

It was encouraging to see Bohm pound a mistake pitch and not veer outside himself to do so. The swing was Bohm's natural, opposite-field swing. He didn't go up there trying to hit a home run, he went up trying to hit the ball hard up the middle or the other way like he ordinarily does.

Sometimes the location of the pitch, bat path and timing all sync up to produce the result. It changed the Phillies' game on Opening Day, expanding their lead from two to five in an eventual 5-3 win.

The cleanup debate

There was endless debate over the offseason and spring as to whether Bohm should hit cleanup behind Harper. Many Phillies fans felt and still feel that Bohm does not offer enough protection and is not the ideal No. 4 hitter. He certainly doesn't fit the traditional mold of a cleanup man because he has never exceeded 20 home runs.

He has driven in 97 runs twice, though, and hit .307 for his career with runners in scoring position. It's not like the guy can't hit. He just doesn't often hit home runs. We saw on Opening Day how pivotal one big swing can be from a spot that will face many RBI opportunities. But if Bohm hit an RBI single or two-run double in the fifth inning Thursday, that would have been doing the job as well. He and the Phillies probably feel that it's more important he hits 40-45 doubles than 25-30 home runs.

Bohm does a good job of blocking out noise but the Opening Day bomb had to feel cathartic for him, especially in light of the fact that his first home run last season came on May 6 in the Phillies' 35th game and Bohm's 136th plate appearance.

Manager Rob Thomson is not locked into Bohm in the cleanup spot. There will be occasional changes based on slumps, days off and maybe matchups. Just because it was Schwarber two and Harper three on Opening Day does not mean it will stay that way for 162 games. Same with Bohm in the cleanup spot and Adolis Garcia batting sixth.

Garcia went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his Phillies debut. Part of the rationale in hitting him sixth might have been not placing outsized pressure on Garcia right away as he debuts with his new team against his former team.

Bohm's future

This is obviously a massive season for Bohm, a free agent at season's end. He has been shopped on the trade market two winters in a row and it's been difficult for the baseball world to pin a value on him. It doesn't seem like he's in the Phillies' long-term plans, but that could change depending on how he performs in 2026. Bohm earns $10.2 million in his final year under team control.

Aidan Miller, the Phils' top prospect at shortstop who could be their third baseman of the future, is still not swinging a bat. He has been sidelined since the start of spring training with a lower-back injury.