Phillies 3B Alec Bohm falls short of NL Rookie of the Year

Rising Phillies star Alec Bohm did not win the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year Award

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm fell short of being forever recognized as just one of five players in franchise history to earn a prestigious honor. Monday evening, Bohm was announced as finishing tied for second place for earning the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award, following a vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Bohm tied fellow infielder finalist Jake Cronenworth of the San Diego Padres; reliever Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers earned the honors, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May finishing in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Williams is the first relief pitcher to win Rookie of the Year since Craig Kimbrel in 2011; he is also the first-ever Rookie of the Year reliever recipient without recording a single save since the stat became official in 1969, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.

The 2018 third overall draft pick in Bohm would have joined Ryan Howard (2005), Scott Rolen (1997), Dick Allen (1964), and Jack Sanford (1957) as the only players in Phillies history to receive the top rookie recognition.

Debuting in mid-August, Bohm’s 2020 season was anything but disappointing. He notably finished atop the National League rookie rankings in five categories — batting average (.338), on-base percentage (.400), slugging percentage (.481), RBI (23), and hits (54).

The Omaha, Nebraska, native also tied Marcell Ozuna (.338) for the third-best batting average among National League players with at least 100 plate appearances — trailing only Juan Soto (.351) and Freddie Freeman (.341). Not to mention, Bohm hit an impressive .452 with runners in scoring position — the best such batting average in the majors.

Cronenworth slashed .285/.354/.477 in 54 games — producing 15 doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 20 RBI. Williams logged 22 games and 27 innings, yielding just one earned run, while striking out 53 batters and walking nine; the right-hander posted an impressive 0.33 ERA and 0.630 WHIP ratio.

In a recent interview, Bohm said his priority this offseason will be to get his legs strong. “Over the course of a 162-game season, that will be the first thing to go,” Bohm said. “[I will] just take care of everything in the weight room and get back into some baseball stuff.

Despite not winning the Rookie of the Year Award, the future is surely still bright for Bohm in red pinstripes.