4 honest Phillies observations heading into Blue Jays series

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm will be fine.

I know it is hard to see a 58 wRC+ from Alec Bohm and believe when you are told that “he will just be fine.” However, trust me, he will be fine.

Currently, the third baseman ranks in the 92nd percentile for average exit velocity, 84th in max exit velocity, and 86th in hard-hit percentage. In other words, Bohm is hitting the ball very hard and very often. He only has a .260 BABIP as well. He just isn’t getting lucky right now when he hits the ball. Sooner or later, things will come back and Bohm will look more like the player he was in 2020.

However, there are a few concerning things to consider that could hinder some of Bohm’s potential overall success in 2021. He is striking out 26.7 percent of the time and is only walking 4.8 precent of the time. In 2020, his walk rate was more than 4 percent higher (8.9 percent), and his strikeout rate was 20 percent.

Bohm’s defense is another concern — as he ranks in just the 19th percentile in Outs Above Average. Maybe the long-term answer is to move him out of the hot corner. Could he success in the outfield, with his athleticism and arm talent still being utilized? First base would be a much easier transition, but that would probably make the lineup worse long-term.

Maybe Bohm just sticks at third base and figures things out. There is no real right answer — just something to think about in the long-term.