Alec Bohm has had a roller coaster tenure in Philadelphia. He has shown glimpses of being an elite third baseman, and then can look like a total fraud. The Phillies are hoping to have a big season from Bohm in 2024. What can we expect from him 2024? Will he finally take the leap and play at a high-end consistent level, or will he continue to be extremely streaky.
Let's start with the part of Bohm's game that made him say "I f*****g hate this place" after Phillies fans booed him after a 3-error inning. Bohm's fielding percentage did improve from 2022 to 2023, but he did see a slight decrease in his defensive WAR from 2022 to 2023. Bohm also played a decent number of games at 1B in 2023, and with Bryce Harper going to be the everyday first baseman, Bohm should play every day at third base.
Bohm is not an elite defender, but he has moved away from the idea that he is a hindrance at third base. The Phillies have never been a strong defensive team in the recent seasons. Bohm needs to continue to improve so he does not fall back into being a hinderance in the field. Bohm should play the entire season at 3rd in 2024, which I think will help him tremendously.
Offensively, Bohm can play at a high level, or he can become extremely cold like he did during the 2023 postseason. There are some areas of his offensive game that need to be fixed. If he can figure these things out, I think we can see him take a big leap at the plate in 2024.
The first is his spot in the batting order. The Phillies will more than likely have a very similar lineup to the 2023 postseason Phillies. There are some areas that the Phillies can do to improve their lineup in regard to the order. For Bohm specifically, he should not be in the cleanup role. In fact, Bohm played at least one game hitting in every spot in the order except the leadoff role in 2023. Statistically his two worst spots in the lineup were 3 and 4. Bohm's most successful place in the lineup was hitting 7th. In this spot, he has his biggest batting average and on base percentage, while also hitting in 41 RBI's.
The second part of Bohm's game that he needs to figure out is his plate discipline on the 1st pitch. Bohm's average when he swings at the 1st pitch is .233 and when he takes the 1st pitch his average is .298. His on base percentage goes from .245 to .370 when he does not swing on the 1st pitch. If he can start to lay off pitches early and work the count in his favor, we will see a big jump in his game. When Bohm is ahead in the count, he has a slash line of .361/.495/.536 compared to his slash line when he is behind is .205/.209/.344.
Bohm's difference on the road vs at home is shocking. Bohm actually has lower numbers at Citizens Bank Park compared to games on the road. He has more RBI's, hits, and total bases on the road than he does at Citizens Bank Park. We always talk about how the Phillies have homefield advantage and Bohm needs to take advantage of that.
If we can see Bohm really fix these 3 glaring issues, I see Bohm really taking a big leap at the plate in 2024. Bohm has shown that he can be one of the most reliable hitters for the Phillies, but his bat goes cold too often and too quick.
The MLB just announced their top 10 3rd baseman rankings ahead of Spring Training and Bohm was not on the list. However, Bohm did appear on the fan vote for MLB Network's top 3rd baseman in the game currently. Right now, Bohm is on the cusp of being part of the top players at his position. His concerns at the plate are manageable and he has shown before he can hit the ball at an elite level.
The Phillies are in a win now situation and have their eyes set on one thing...winning a World Series. We all know what this lineup is capable of when they are hot. The Phillies lineup features stars in Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber, and we all know what they can do to an opposing team. However, it is the smaller name guys like Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh that will be the real difference makers for the Phillies in 2024. Here are my thoughts on Stott's potential in 2024.
Bohm really can be a big factor in the Phillies season in 2024. If he can step up and elevate his performance at the plate, I can see the Phillies back in the World Series. However, if he continues to be streaky and he goes cold at the wrong time again, the Phillies can be in trouble. He has improved each season, however 2024 is the year that Bohm needs to step up and play to his potential.
-Adam Mack (@adammackMLB)