Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Bohm is set to be the next big superstar

It appears the Philadelphia Phillies hit a “home run” in their selection of Alec Bohm.

When the Philadelphia Phillies selected Alec Bohm with the third overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Wichita State, the hope was that he would quickly rise through the ranks of minor league baseball. This idea was not entirely far-fetched, but Philadelphia’s recent returns through the MLB Draft were pedestrian at best.

However, with Bohm being a college-level bat, drafted at 21 years of age (turning 22 shortly after), the reason for optimism was there.

It was not long before that optimism turned into pure, unfiltered excitement. Through his two seasons playing minor league baseball, Bohm slashed .293/.368/.842 with 21 home runs and 97 runs batted in through 165 games. It was clearly obvious he was destined to be a star at the Major League level.

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While he was busy absolutely mashing in the batter’s box, concern quickly arose about Bohm’s ability to stick long-term playing third base. His glove left much to be desired, and to be fair, he was a rather big guy, standing 6-foot-5, 220 pounds.

However, as he has continued to progress, he has shown flashes of being able to play serviceable defense at the hot corner, and thankfully his offense will clearly make up for any defensive deficiencies.

Making his debut this past August of the 2020 season, it became clear fairly quickly that Bohm was indeed set for superstardom.

His first five games at the big league level saw him go 6-17 at the plate (.353 BA) while roping two doubles, driving in two runs, and flashing some leather at third base. This hot-start actually ended up carrying its way through the remainder of the season, as Bohm slashed .338/.400/.881 with four home runs and 23 runs batted in. Throw in another 11 doubles while also continuing to show signs of life defensively.

Add that all together, and you get yourself a potential Rookie of the Year.

Yes, that is correct. It has recently been announced that Bohm currently finds himself as one of three finalists for the National League Rookie of the Year award, and quite frankly, he should. without a doubt, win.

Yes, the other two players nominated were incredibly good this past year as well; that is why they find themselves on the ballot. Those two guys are none other than Jake Cronenworth with the Padres and Devin Williams with the Brewers. Both of which had strong seasons, but aside from the numbers, the eye test shows Bohm is going to be an absolute superstar.

With a ton of uncertainty surrounding J.T Realmuto and if the Phillies will look to re-sign him, having a player in-house that you can pair with Bryce Harper for the next decade is one of the few bright spots this organization currently has.

Heck, if Rhys Hoskins can figure it out in his return from Tommy John surgery, it is quite possible the Phils’ could find themselves with a three-headed monster of sorts in the middle of their lineup. Keep in mind, just like Harper and Hoskins, Bohm is blessed with an excellent eye at the plate and possesses the ability to get on base even when he is in a cold streak at the plate.

And hey, throw in the idea of Realmuto possibly returning, and suddenly you have a really solid core to build around offensively.

With all of this in mind and currently only 24 years of age, the future is so stupidly bright for Bohm. If this past season, or what he did in the minor leagues for that matter is any indication, it is easy to assume he will routinely be a player who hits .300 with 30 plus home runs and drives in 100 runs every single season. Yeah, I would say that is pretty darn good.

Who knows, maybe being a Rookie of the Year candidate will turn into becoming an MVP candidate down the road. Crazier things have happened.

There is one thing for certain; the Philadelphia Phillies hit an absolute home run with their selection of Alec Bohm. With a franchise that has so much uncertainty and toxicity surrounding it at the moment, the fact that they have Bohm in house and under team control for the next six years is amazing. The future is bright for the third basemen, and we are blessed to have a front-row seat to it.