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Phillies Season in Review: Alec Bohm
Following his impressive debut during the shortened 2020 MLB season, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm had his sights set on being a starter for the club in 2021 for a full 162.
And this was the Phillies' plan for their former MLB first round draft pick as well, as he proved that he was more than ready offensively to fulfill a spot in the everyday lineup.
But 2021 showed that things can change.
Bohm's season got off to a slow start, and throughout April and May, it was evident he was trudging through a “sophomore slump.” Through 209 plate appearances and 53 games, he hit just .203/.249/.302, with a .551 OPS.
He hit four homers and collected 24 RBI during this span, but also struck out 58 times and grounded into 12 double-plays. While he was hitting the ball hard, he couldn’t seem to catch a break no matter where it was hit, struggling to find any gaps in the field.
However, Bohm began to pick things up offensively in June, batting .329/.384/.380 with 26 hits, four doubles, 11 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 23 games.
He continued to show flashes of his 2020 self throughout 18 games in July, in which he hit .296/.387/.481, three homers, eight RBI, and an OPS of .869.
Unfortunately for Bohm, his defensive woes became too much of a liability on the field for the Phillies in August, and he was ultimately demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on the 22nd of the month.
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Whether or not this was the correct move by the organization is a matter of opinion, but Bohm did finish the season with an abysmal 18 errors across 115 games, which is obviously not ideal, especially at the hot corner.
Bohm's bat did cool off in August, hitting just .217/.280/.283 in 17 games before being sent down. But his replacements at third, Ronald Torreyes and Freddy Galvis, weren't much better options offensively, with Torreyes batting just .220 and Galvis at .224 in the second half.
It's possible that Bohm would have brought a bit more pop to the Phillies lineup to finish out the year, but the club decided it was more important for the 25-year-old to get some more time in the minors to attend to his defense.
Bohm returned to the majors on Sept. 29 for the series against the Atlanta Braves. In two plate appearances as a pinch hitter, he notched one hit and was hit by a pitch. After the Phillies were eliminated from postseason contention, Bohm returned to the starting lineup for the final two games of 2021 versus the Miami Marlins. He picked up two hits and three strikeouts. It was great to see Bohm get a few starts before the season ended and log a few hard hits.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski noted on Oct. 6 during a press conference that he and the Phillies hope to have Bohm as their Opening Day third baseman in 2022, and mentioned that Bohm was currently in Clearwater, Fl. working on his defense.
"I think you have to give Bohm a little big of a break," Dombrowski told Jim Salisbury of NBCSP. "He's a young guy that's improving, he hasn't played all that much. He's a hard worker and its up to us to continue to make him better. We've got some things we think will help him. I don't think he's going to be a Gold Glove third baseman, but he can be solid over there."
As Dombrowski said, Bohm is still young, and he hasn't even played a full 162 games in MLB yet. There's still a lot of power harnessed in Bohm's bat, as he is ranked in the 89th percentile in average exit velocity and 90th in hard-hit percentage. It’s a matter of fixing his approach at the plate and adjusting his swing.
If Bohm is able to develop his game both physically and mentally, better defines his role in the starting lineup, and improves his defense to just an average level, it would be massive for the Phillies in 2022.
More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
- Phillies Want Alec Bohm as Opening Day Third Baseman
- Phillies Season in Review: J.T. Realmuto
- Report: Phillies Fielding Calls on Top Prospect Stott
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