Comparing Alec Bohm's first three seasons to other notable Phillies

Believe it or not, it has already been almost two and a half years since Alec Bohm debuted at third base for the Philadelphia Phillies. The 26-year-old was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft and has had a memorable start to his big-league career.

Bohm has already experienced highs and lows that some players go an entire career without experiencing. Who could forget Bohm committing three errors in two innings against the New York Mets and saying he "hates this place" last April?

While that certainly put Bohm at odds with Phillies fans for a short time, things quickly came around due to Bohm taking accountability and showing responsibility. Bohm went on to improve his defense drastically, transforming himself from a young defensive liability to a playmaker on defense.

Bohm also performed at the plate in the big moments. He proved he can handle big moments, from celebrating getting hit by a pitch that gave the Phillies their first run of the 2022 postseason, to being a contributor in the Phillies' record-tying five-homer-game in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series.

Dave Dombrowski and the rest of the front office will have through 2026 to complete their evaluation of Bohm before he is due a contract., Four seasons is a long time and fans can't help but to wonder what they have in store.

While comparing Bohm's first three seasons to other current and former Phillies legends and stars, his career may not take the same trajectory, but it certainly can be fun.

How does Alec Bohm's start compare to one of the greatest Phillies ever?

When thinking of Philadelphia Phillies third basemen, it is impossible to not immediately think of the legendary Mike Schmidt.

Schmidt was with the Phillies for his entire 18-year career. From his debut in September 1972 at the age of 22, through his final game in May 1989 at the age of 39, Schmidt put together the best career a Phillies player ever had.

Schmidt batted a career .267/.380/.527, hit more than 540 home runs, won three National League MVP awards, and was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and eight-time Silver Slugger.

While it may seem a bit outlandish to compare Bohm to Schmidt, the similarities should certainly receive some attention.

Schmidt played 307 games from his September 1972 debut through the end of the 1974 season, while Bohm played in 311 regular season games from his August 2020 debut until the end of the 2022 regular season. In those games, Schmidt batted .204, while Bohm maintained a .277 average.

Bohm was also part of a Phillies team that won the National League pennant, something Schmidt did not accomplish until 1980. Schmidt, however, was able to bat .280/.395/.546 during the 1974 season, something that would give the third baseman his first All-Star nod.

While we still anxiously wait to see Bohm reach All-Star status, he is not off to a bad start. While Schmidt had subpar batting averages to start his career, he also displayed power with 55 home runs in his first 307 games. The batting averages would later come, as he would bat a career-best .316 in 1981.

Perhaps Bohm can begin to unleash power that helped him hit 33 home runs in his 159 starts at Wichita State. After all, Bohm hit 10 home runs in 2022 under first-year manager Rob Thomson, after previously hitting 14 home runs from August 2020 through May 2022.

Trea Turner's career beginnings closely mirror fellow Phillies infielder Alec Bohm's first three seasons.

New Phillies shortstop Trea Turner may have yet to suit up in red pinstripes, but his 11-year, $300 million deal makes him one of the roster's most noteworthy players. Turner earned this contract despite never hitting 30 home runs in a season, and only hitting more than 20 home runs twice in eight seasons.

Turner debuted in 2015, however, he only played in 27 games and would not compete for the Rookie of the Year Award until 2016. So, Turner's first three seasons will be counted as the 333 games he played with the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018.

From 2016 to 2018, Turner slashed .342/.370/.567, .284/.338/.451, and .271/.344/.516, respectively. Over Bohm's first three seasons, he slashed .338/.400/.481, .247/.305/.342, and .280/.315/.398. Turner's home run totals were 13, 11 and 19, respectively, while Bohm's season totals were 4, 7, and 13.

Turner is a good roadmap of what Bohm could become. Bohm showed ability to be a great contact hitter, a presence in the batter's box in clutch moments, and occasionally take a pitcher yard. Defensively, Bohm also cleaned up his mistakes as the 2022 season went on.

It appeared that manager Rob Thomson helped Bohm rely on his instincts and high baseball IQ to make plays, instead of trying to constantly be a great player — a mentality that we have seen cripple other high draft picks recently on other Philadelphia sports teams.

In 2023, expect Bohm to make huge leaps toward what he could become as an everyday player for the rest of his career. Coming off of a World Series appearance, adding Turner to the lineup, and improving the bullpen with the arms of Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel, have put a target on the Phillies that they have not had in a long time.

If the Phillies go on a run similar to their 2007-2011 stretch, they will need their third baseman to bring his "A-game" on both offense and defense. If Bohm rises to the challenge, he could be the next Phillies player to earn a lucrative contract.