How Alec Bohm became the starting All-Star third baseman

It was April 11, 2022, and Alec Bohm had just made his second error of what would end up being three in one game against the New York Mets. It was just the second game of the 2022 season, but it was coming off another disappointing year for the Philadelphia Phillies, which ended without a postseason berth for the 10th year in a row.

After making a routine play at third base, just moments after an error, sarcastic cheers rained down at him from the stands. Bohm looked towards shortstop Didi Gregorius, and the cameras caught him saying, “I f****** hate this place,” in reference to Philadelphia, Citizens Bank Park and the fans.

It was possibly the lowest point of the young third baseman’s career. After a promising rookie season, Bohm’s 2021 was less than stellar. He slashed .247/.305/.342 with an OPS of .647. He hit just seven home runs and 15 doubles and had just 47 RBI over 115 games.  

The then 24-year-old was in the 18th percentile in strikeout rate, 31st percentile in xSLG, 32nd percentile in barrel rate and 36th percentile in whiff rate. Those are abysmal numbers compared to his peers, especially for a prospect who made his name as a player who can hit the ball and hit it well.

How Alec Bohm became the starting All-Star third baseman

The baseball world and Phillies fans were disappointed in what Bohm was doing and how he had developed. He was constantly included in trade rumors, free agent third basemen were constantly rumored to be coming to Philadelphia to replace him and the Phillies faithful voiced their displeasure with boos and insults.

When that fateful game against the Mets occurred, you could almost put a bow on his career in Philadelphia.

But Bohm must have read the manual on how to ingratiate yourself to Philadelphia. He stood in the locker room and took responsibility — something that not every 25-year-old would be mature enough to do. He owned his mistakes, acknowledged the disappointment and held himself accountable.

The next game, after Bohm took responsibility, Phillies fans gave him a true, rousing ovation. They recognized that he cared and wanted to be great. He fit the mold of a true Philadelphian, and he was ready to "earn his stripes."

The 2022 season started out bumpy for the Phillies and Bohm. In 51 games before manager Joe Girardi was fired on June 3, Bohm hit .263/.304/.360 with three home runs, six doubles and 19 RBI. But from that point, Bohm improved and improved in a big way. He hit .287/.320/.414 with 10 home runs, 18 doubles and 53 RBI. The team went 65-46 after the rough start and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Bohm could be found working on his defensive mechanics, improving every game with proof coming from his results. After his three error-game, he only committed 10 more errors over the 160 remaining games.

The Phillies made a run to the World Series that year, and Bohm was at the center of the success. The table was set for him to finally be a key piece in the Phillies' future that everyone thought he might be.

Things got even better for Alec Bohm in 2023

In 2023, Bohm continued to grow and take the next step. He broke the 20-home run threshold for the first time in his career and came close to cracking 100 RBI, finishing with 97. He racked up the doubles, hitting 31, and he hit for average, ending the season at .274/. 327/.437.

He jumped to the 89th percentile in whiff rate and the 88th percentile in strikeout rate. He was in the 69th percentile in xSLG and 93rd percentile in xBA.

Bohm was hitting with a purpose, and it showed, but the defense was where the improvement continued. He had just nine errors on the entire season, and the fluidness could be seen by all of the baseball world and Phillies fans. But almost even more impressive, Bohm stepped up and started playing first base. The Phillies needed someone who could step in and hold their own at first base, and he did just that. He would end up playing 88 games at third base and 69 games at first base.

This was almost unimaginable that the player who once was seen as a major liability in the field was now versatile enough to play multiple positions.

Bohm became a fan favorite and part of "The Daycare” with Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott. All of a sudden, it was hard to imagine the Phillies' future without the 6-foot-5, goofy and high-energy corner infielder.

Alec Bohm has stepped up to All-Star-caliber this season

This season kicked off with high expectations. The Phillies have one thing on their mind: winning the World Series. Bohm is a big part of those expectations and will be needed in order to achieve their goals.

So far, he hasn’t disappointed. Going into the All-Star break, having played in 93 games, Bohm has hit .292/.347/.476 with an OPS of .823. He has 11 home runs, a league-leading 31 doubles and already 70 RBI. The 31 doubles are a career high, and his 70 RBI is getting incredibly close to surpassing his career high.

His Statcast statistics show the same growth. He's in the 97th percentile in xBA, 92nd percentile in strikeout rate, 85th percentile in whiff rate, 84th percentile in xSLG and 71st percentile in xwOBA.

And for the first time in Bohm’s five-year career, he has been named an All-Star and not just any All-Star. He’s the starting third baseman for the National League, beating out the second-place vote-getter by an astonishing 1,414,972 votes.

He makes it known that he “loves this place” now, and Phillies fans surely love him. There are no more trade rumors, and there are no more future strategies for how to replace him. In fact, the conversation has changed now to how to move prospects in the organization around the diamond to keep Bohm at third.

Bohm has come full circle, but he's not done yet. He and the rest of the Phillies know this is just another step in their end goal. But it sure is great to see Alec Bohm elected to his first All-Star game representing the Philadelphia Phillies, who stuck with a young kid while he grew up right in front of our eyes.