Phillies: Bohm impressive through five major league starts
By Bryce Turner
The Philadelphia Phillies’ top prospect Alec Bohm could be just what the team needs after an impressive first five games in the majors.
Nearly three weeks into a shortened season, with bullpen blunders and a roller-coaster offense, the Philadelphia Phillies turned to 24-year-old Alec Bohm, as they looked to get back into the postseason picture.
The highly anticipated debut of the Phillies’ top prospect came in the 14th game of the season, and it did not disappoint.
The third baseman stepped to the plate for the first time with nobody on and two out in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles. On a 2-1 count, he hit a double to left field; his first hit in his first at-bat.
While Bohm would end his opening game going 1-for-4, his first at-bat was a sign of what he could bring to the team.
Bohm remained in the line-up for the following game against the New York Mets. This time, his first plate appearance came with two on and one out. A first-pitch single to center field provided Bohm with his first major league RBI.
Overall, his first five games showed signs of improvement, with a different story every time. His first hit in game one, first RBI in game two, first walk in game three, first multi-hit outing in game four and a near-perfect on-base percentage in game five (2-for-3 with two walks).
Bohm saw his batting average climb from .250 to .353 during his first five games, while the Phillies saw their runs-per-game grow from four runs in a loss to the Orioles to six runs each in a three-game sweep of the Mets and a whopping 13 runs in a win at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
Bohm is responsible for two RBIs and three runs over those five games.
While he hasn’t been the biggest driver of offense, Bohm is a welcome addition to an infield struggling to produce runs.
Jean Segura has three HR, four RBI and a .222/.344/.426 slash line through 16 games, while Scott Kingery has only one RBI and a .122/.173/.122 slash line through 14 games. Rhys Hoskins has proven his worth through his 17 walks, but has only one HR, six RBI and is batting .214/.421/.339 through 17 games.
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Didi Gregorius has been the star of the infield offensively, with three HR, 13 RBI and a .308/.343/.492 slash line in 18 games. With Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto putting up much of the team’s numbers, adding a rookie like Bohm provides another opportunity to create more depth.
Phil Gosselin, Adam Haseley and Andrew Knapp have done well in limited opportunities, so a new face can help, especially as pitching continues to struggle.
The move also provides the opportunity to shift Segura back to second base, send Kingery to the bench and have Bohm start, assuming he proves to be more productive than Kingery.
Defensively, Bohm committed an error in his fourth game, but has still seemed to adjust well to third base in the big leagues.
Bohm could be good for the Phillies as an everyday starter.
Overall, Bohm has six hits, including two doubles and two RBIs, along with three walks and a .353/.450/.471 slash line through his first five games. For a player with no AAA experience, who spent the start of the season playing against teammates at the Phillies’ alternate site in Lehigh Valley, this is as good a start, if not better, than the team could have hoped for.
His addition as a regular starter at third base could be just what the Phillies need as they look to make a playoff push.