The Philadelphia Phillies know their identity when it comes to their lineup, and it's their pop. This lineup was built to do it as well as any other MLB club. The additions of outfielder Nick Castellanos and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber juiced the lineup behind Bryce Harper and brought them to be the heavy sluggers of today.
Schwarber has surprised many with his quiet leadership while simultaneously holding the title as the team's home run king. Schwarber has hit 131 home runs in just three seasons in Philadelphia, giving him third most in MLB during that span. It has easily made him the Phillies' home run leader each year he has sported the pinstripes, and may very well do it again. Even with the power at the plate, a surprising name has emerged to possibly challenge the Ohio native.
Alec Bohm a head-scratching choice to challenge Kyle Schwarber as Phillies' home run king
Schwarber's ability to effortlessly find the seats with just a flick of the wrists surely proves his raw strength. This season presents another round of the Schwarber show, but third baseman Alec Bohm has been tabbed as a name to watch out for the home run title, per MLB.com's Andrew Simon.
Of all the sluggers, many wouldn't believe Bohm could go toe-to-toe against Schwarber. Bohm became an All-Star for the first time in 2024, but not because of his home-run hitting ability. He had potential as a younger prospect, but the power has translated very differently in the majors.
Bohm has been a solid offensive player for the Phillies. He put it all together last season, with a .280 batting average, 15 home runs and 97 RBI. When it comes to home runs, Bohm has shown signs of that power, like when he hit his career-high of 20 in 2023, but has failed to build off of that performance. His other two full seasons only accumulated 28 home runs combined. According to FanGraphs, Bohm is projected to hit .276 with 17 home runs and 71 RBI in 2025.
No doubt about this one! pic.twitter.com/YkNkYV3Xcz
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 8, 2025
He already has three home runs during spring training action so far, but has faced an average of between Double- and Triple-A opponents on the mound, according to Baseball Reference.
His abilities come from being a line-drive machine. His 44 doubles last season were good for second in the National League and has him already at 99 for his career. At just 28 years old, there's still time for him to develop into a premium slugger. It's quite the contest of home run hitters in the Phillies' lineup, but Bohm would have to be a big surprise, just like his breakthrough last year.