Baseball season is back. The Philadelphia Phillies position players will have to report to spring training by the first full squad workout on Mon., Feb. 17.
The Phillies will look to put their 2024 late-season struggles in the rearview mirror as they prepare for another championship-hopeful season. Third baseman Alec Bohm will particularly try to move on from a drama-filled last few months.
Phillies need Alec Bohm to regroup after tough finish last year and offseason rumors
Bohm has had an eventful first five years in his Phillies career. He’s experienced highs and lows, but unfortunately, more lows than highs recently.
Bohm was named to the first All-Star Game of his career in 2024. He slashed .295/.348/.482 with a .830 OPS, 33 doubles, 11 home runs and 70 RBI before the All-Star break. The 28-year-old was among Major League Baseball’s best and gained national attention with his show-stopping performance in the Home Run Derby.
Although he finished top five among qualified third basemen in hits, doubles, RBI, batting average and on-base percentage, the second half of the season was unkind to Bohm. He slashed .251/.299/.382 with a .681 OPS, 11 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI after the All-Star break.
Bohm particularly struggled in September after missing some time with a hand injury. He had by far the worst month of his season after returning from injury. He slashed .170/.204/.298 with two extra-base hits, eight RBI, two walks and 10 strikeouts in 47 at-bats.
Bohm’s late-season struggles at the plate can’t be solely blamed on his hand injury, but there seemed to be a direct correlation. He seemed like a completely different player after his injury, with poor plate discipline and significantly less offensive production.
The playoffs were a chance for the struggling star to regroup, but it didn’t work out that way for Bohm. He was 1-for-13 at the plate during the Phillies’ short-lived postseason and was benched in Game 2 of the NLDS for Edmundo Sosa.
As if his late-season struggles weren’t enough to deal with over the offseason, Bohm’s name was all over trade rumors. It’s no secret that Bohm can be moody and has a poor attitude at times. The way the 2024 season ended and the offseason drama around him can mess with his head, especially in a market like Philadelphia.
The Phillies need Bohm to regroup and put everything behind him heading into the 2025 season. He’s a big part of the ball club and someone who can be a difference-maker on a championship-caliber team.