7 Philadelphia Phillies with something to prove in 2022

Alec Bohm

After finishing the 2020 season as the runner-up to the NL Rookie of the Year, Alec Bohm fell apart in 2021. His batting average and on-base percentage fell by almost 100 points each, while his slugging percentage and OPS both fell by over 100 points.

The Phillies have hired hitting coach Kevin Long away from the Washington Nationals, and fixing Bohm has to be at the top of his lengthy to-do list.

Bohm is still quite young and has time to turn it around. He just has to prove he can.

Aaron Nola

Aaron Nola is supposed to be a marquee player on the Philadelphia Phillies, but instead, he was a hindrance in 2021. The longtime Phillies starting pitcher posted a 4.63 ERA over 32 starts, his worst ERA since 2016, and the second-highest of his seven-year career.

2021 was the first full season since 2017 in which Nola didn’t pitch 200+ innings; he didn’t even come close. He also allowed more earned runs in 180 2/3 innings this season than he did over 202 1/3 innings in 2019. Nola also frustrated fans with his comments about COVID vaccines and complained about the narrative surrounding his September pitching struggles, though statistical facts aren’t exactly a ‘narrative.’

Nola’s reduced walks rate was one of the only good things you could say about his season, so there’s a lot he has to prove if the Phillies don’t trade him before the season starts.

Of course, if they do trade him, he’ll have something to prove then, too.