Philadelphia is a tough city for athletes to play in. Whether it’s the Eagles, Sixers, Flyers or Phillies, the fans expect a certain standard.
Phillies All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm has had a rollercoaster career in the City of Brotherly Love since he debuted in 2020. From being criticized for his poor defensive play to his viral “I f—cking hate this place” moment and tantrum-like tendencies, Bohm has had to grow up fast with the Phillies.
Bohm was the National League’s 2020 Rookie of the Year runner-up, but really came into his own in 2023. He hit .274 with 31 doubles, 20 home runs and 97 RBIs while striking out just 94 times. The former third overall pick was selected to the first All-Star Game of his career in 2024 and finished the season with a .280 batting average, tied for the third most doubles in the majors with 44, 15 home runs, 97 RBIs and struck out 86 times in 143 games.
The 2025 season hasn’t been kind to the 28-year-old early on.
Alec Bohm has been incredibly unlucky so far this season
Entering Friday’s game, Bohm is slashing .173/.184/.227 with a .411 OPS, three extra-base hits, five RBI, one walk and 16 strikeouts through his first 18 games this season. The usual early to middle of the lineup hitter has found himself as low as eighth in the order in 2025.
“It’s probably try to care a little less about results -- and probably think that sucked still,” Bohm said about his early season struggles, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “Obviously, whether it's tomorrow or a week from now or a month from now, I’m going to be a different player, for sure. Just … trusting everything I've done -- I've worked, I've prepared, I've done everything I can do.”
Although his numbers on the surface don’t reflect it, there’s reason to believe Bohm will break out of his slump and produce at the level he’s capable of.
Entering Friday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins, Bohm’s slugging percentage and expected slugging percentage were 168 points apart, per Statcast. His expected batting average was 73 points higher than his actual average, and his expected weighted on-base average was 98 points higher than his current number.
Bohm is hitting the ball hard, owning a 91.0 mph exit velocity and a 49.2 percent hard hit rate, both above the major league average. Baseball isn’t easy, and the Phillies’ All-Star third baseman is learning that the hard way.