Philadelphia Phillies 2021 player grades: Alec Bohm

Alec Bohm’s sophomore season with the Phillies was an unmitigated disaster

After finishing second for NL Rookie of the Year in 2020, Alec Bohm wasn’t expected to be a problem in 2021. However, his struggles all year in the field, sub-par offense and demotion to AAA Lehigh Valley typified the Philadelphia Phillies season as a whole. Let’s take a look back at Bohm’s rocky 2021 campaign.

Bohm started the season hitless in the first two games of the season before hitting safely in 10 of his next 13.  He finished April with a batting average of only .207 with two home runs and an OPS of a dismal .547. On a positive, Bohm made his hits count, knocking in 13.

May started with four hits in his first eight at-bats in two games against the Mets, raising his average to .230.  However, that was the pinnacle for the month for Bohm, who ended the month with eerily similar numbers as April, .200 average, two home runs, a .551 OPS, and 31 strikeouts in 100 at-bats.

Despite 20 strikeouts in 79 at-bats in June, it was a positive month at the plate for Bohm.  Although he failed to hit a home run, Bohm hit .329 and raised his season average 37 points to .240.  The momentum continued for Bohm into July, adding in some power with three home runs while batting .296 to raise his batting average to a more respectable .249.

However, during “hitting” season when other Phillies players got hot, Bohm struggled. He failed to hit a home run, struck out 16 times in 46 at-bats, and had only a .283 slugging percentage.  Bohm was sent down to AAA Lehigh Valley and hit .271 in 15 games, but had only one home run. Upon his return at the end of September, Bohm had three hits in his final nine at-bats. All told for the 2021 season: .247 average, 7 home runs, 47 RBI, .647 OPS, 111 strikeouts in 380 at-bats.

Defensively, Bohm was even worse as he continued to look mostly uncomfortable at the hot corner.  In 103 games at third base, Bohm committed 15 errors with a fielding percentage of .936. By comparison, Matt Chapman led all third basemen in fielding percentage at .987. Nolan Arenado led NL third basemen with a .974 fielding percentage.  Tenth in the league in fielding percentage was Rafael Devers at .950.

In all fairness to Bohm, his rookie season was less than half of a full Major League season, so he’s still played in relatively few Major League games. However, the regression at the plate was significant and he seemed lost in the field more often than not.

There is time to improve and the Phillies need Bohm to improve from a less than mediocre 2021 campaign.

Bohm’s 2021 season grade: D+