Third baseman Alec Bohm has become the target of Philadelphia Phillies fans’ ire in recent years, as the former first-round pick has failed to live up to expectations over seven seasons in red pinstripes. The 29-year-old Bohm has been decent, if unspectacular over the years, but has completely bottomed out in the first few weeks of the 2026 season. Bohm’s bases-loaded strikeout with the game on the line Tuesday night perfectly summed up his atrocious start to the season.
Alec Bohm has been the Phillies’ starting third baseman since his debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and has posted a cromulent .276/.325/.411 slash line across 735 career games. While his overall production at the plate hasn’t been atrocious, the Nebraskan never reached the power potential that his 6’4”, 218 lb frame would suggest. Couple that with hot corner defense that on its best day is subpar, and Bohm has the makings of a perfectly underwhelming player.
Phillies fans have had a rollercoaster relationship with Alec Bohm, ranging from the depths of “I hate this place” and post-strikeout tantrums, to the peak of an All-Star berth in 2024. However, the 29-year-old had worn out his welcome after the club’s third consecutive playoff faceplant, and the Phillies appeared all set to move on from him this past winter.
Unfortunately, Bo Bichette’s rugpull left the club’s directionless front office with no plan B, and so Bohm was penciled into the Opening Day lineup yet again a few weeks ago.
The man that had come to be known as a disappointing draft pick, but not an inexcusable one, has completely cratered to begin his final year of team control, posting a dismal .153/.227/.220 line through the team's first 17 games. That horrifying showing has led to Bohm ceding playing time to fan favorite Edmundo Sosa, who has been on a heater to start off his year.
Tuesday night was a new Phillies low for Alec Bohm
Tuesday night’s contest against the Chicago Cubs saw Bohm riding the bench as Sosa manned the hot corner, and the Panamanian delivered with an electrifying three-run bomb to give the Phils an early lead. Unfortunately, the club’s feast or famine offense once again went hungry for the rest of the night, and the Cubs took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
The Phillies looked all but dead, but a Trea Turner RBI single brought them to within three, and a base hit from Kyle Schwarber and an Adolis García walk loaded the bases with two away. The Cubs tasked southpaw Caleb Thielbar with collecting the final out against Brandon Marsh, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson countered with the slumping Bohm, hoping the platoon advantage would pay off.
It wasn’t even close, as Thielbar manhandled the erstwhile third baseman, striking him out on four pitches. And with that the Phillies were sentenced to death in the game, with Alec Bohm serving as their inept counsel.
Bohm seemed to take his latest failure especially hard, as he was photographed in the dugout by Phillies Nation's photographer showcasing a thousand-yard stare while being consoled by clubhouse leader Kyle Schwarber. The picture gained traction as a veteran was seen taking a scuffling younger player under his wing, much like Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto did for Orion Kerkering after last year’s playoff debacle.
While the empathetic nature of Bohm’s latest struggles may be the story of the day, there is unfortunately a less uplifting reality that needs to be faced. The fact of the matter is that good vibes don’t win championships. Productive play on the baseball field does. No amount of veteran leadership makes up for the fact that Alec Bohm has been hamstringing the Phillies for weeks, and unless he figures things out quickly he’ll find himself on the bench, or perhaps off the roster entirely.
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