2024 will be another significant season for the Philadelphia Phillies. After surprising with a run to the World Series two years ago, Philadelphia entered last year with expectations of winning a championship.
The Phillies have several players whose performances in 2024 could dictate whether the team succeeds, leading to a championship, or struggles and comes up short of their ultimate goal once again.
Last season ended with disappointment as the Phillies fell short of returning to the World Series. Considering the talent assembled throughout the roster, this year will be pivotal. If Philadelphia does not win the Fall Classic, it is fair to question if this is the right group of players and manager to win a championship.
Here are five Phillies who could be the difference between success and failure in 2024.
Alec Bohm
Defensively, Alec Bohm took a step in the right direction last year. He needed to step in at first base while the Phillies dealt with injuries to Rhys Hoskins and Darick Hall. Once Bryce Harper began to play the position, the third baseman played more frequently at his natural position.
Seized the Bohment#RedOctober x @SEIInvestments pic.twitter.com/0fpaQEVaWB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 18, 2023
Bohm played in 80 games and started 59 of them at first base. He had five errors and a .990 fielding percentage. The 2018 draft pick played in 90 contests at third base, starting in 80. He finished with a .978 fielding percentage, his highest at the position during his four-year career. He made several key plays defensively during the postseason to aid the Phillies, committing one error in 13 contests for a .966 fielding percentage.
Bohm's bat continued to improve
Alec Bohm continued to progress on offense during his fourth season in the majors. The third baseman improved upon lowering his strikeout totals from 110 in 2022 to 94 last year. He set career highs with 42 walks, 31 doubles, and 20 home runs.
The statistical increase that is most noticeable is in his RBI total during the last two seasons. Bohm finished with 72 RBI in 152 games during 2022. He nearly finished with 100 RBI, totaling 97 in 145 contests last year. He continues to improve hitting with runners in scoring position based on his increase in the category over three consecutive years.
Bohm seemed to find success wherever manager Rob Thomson placed him in the lineup, which ranged near the top to the seventh spot in the batting order. The 27-year-old stepped up offensively, batting second briefly when Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos were both in slumps.
Bohm's postseason performance needs to improve
During September, the Omaha, Nebraska native finished with his worst line of the season - .235/.278/.412 in 102 plate appearances. His struggles carried over into the playoffs, and he couldn't provide enough support offensively, hitting fourth behind Turner and Harper.
He finished with a line of .239/.340/.370 in his 46 at-bats during 13 games. When the club excelled offensively during the games they won during the postseason last year, Bohm's contributions were minimal. Ironically, in three of the four games the Phillies lost in the National League Championship Series, the third baseman made an impact while the rest of the team had difficulty at the plate, particularly in Games 6 and 7.
His lone home run in 13 playoff games was during the final game of the NLCS when he had one of their five hits. The only two playoff contests in which Bohm had more than one hit were during Games 3 and 6 in the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Following a meager stat line during the 2022 playoffs — .224/.292/.362, along with 16 strikeouts in 58 at-bats during 17 games — Bohm had another postseason with inconsistent offensive success. He needs to have a more productive, steady offensive production with fewer strikeouts, particularly during the playoffs, if Philadelphia is going to win a championship in 2024.