Philadelphia Phillies: Benching Alec Bohm highlights the team’s ineptitude
Coming into the 2021 season, it is safe to say optimism for Alec Bohm‘s future with the Philadelphia Phillies was at an all-time high.
Fresh off a rookie season which saw the former third overall pick slash .338/.400/.481 in 44 games and finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, it seemed the sky was the limit for the young hitter.
His glove was always a question mark, and even prior to 2021, there were questions regarding his ability to stick at third base. This season has shown it is unlikely he will do so, as he has been abysmal at the hot corner to the tune of 17 errors and a fielding percentage of .936. His defensive runs saved is -11, which is the third-worst in the National League.
With that in mind, benching Alec Bohm isn’t helping himself or the Philadelphia Phillies either now or moving forward.
Having Alec Bohm sit on the bench doesn’t help him or the Philadelphia Phillies.
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With his struggles in the field under a microscope, Alec Bohm hasn’t made a start at third base since August 8th, which is the day the Philadelphia Phillies swept the New York Mets and won the eighth and final game of their recent eight-game winning streak.
What has happened in that time since Bohm’s last start at third? Well, the Phils have gone 2-6 and have averaged 2.37 runs per game in that stretch. The offense has died, and some of that has to be attributed to Bohm being out of the lineup.
While his offensive numbers this season are nothing compared to what he was able to do last season, Bohm has been a good offensive player since June 1st. In that time, Bohm has slashed .302/.372/.401, which is a far cry from his slash line up until June 1st, which was .203/.249./302.
Basically, for a team that is struggling to produce any sort of offense at the moment, benching a guy who hit over .300 in the past two and a half months doesn’t really make any sense.
This is even more true when you realize Brad Miller has been playing virtually every day with Rhys Hoskins and Bohm out of the lineup. Curious as to what he has done since June 1st? Shield your eyes, because it is ugly. In that time, Miller has slashed .145/.264/.347 in 124 at-bats.
Basically, he has been awful, and benching a young player like Bohm whose struggling in the field, just to play a veteran like Miller whose been awful at the plate doesn’t make any sense. It is organizational malpractice. Things like this are why the Phillies have been irrelevant for almost a decade now, and it could play a key role in the team’s demise this season.
Joe Girardi has gone on record multiple times in the past few weeks about how he is trying to help the young player do a reset and clear his mind. But with your veterans playing just as bad, if not worse, sitting a young building block like Bohm doesn’t help anybody, especially when your offense has disappeared since he was sent to the bench.
With the Phillies’ playoff dreams fading fast, it is important to re-insert Bohm into the lineup. Sure his glove has been bad, but it is something the team will need to live with until they get to the offseason and can formulate a plan moving forward. His bat has been good, and you could argue it outweighs his shortcomings with the glove, especially when you look at the (non)production you are getting elsewhere.
Next. It was all good just a week ago. dark
Time is running out in 2021; the time to right the ship is now. With 42 games remaining, it is time to let Bohm sink or swim. Even if the team fails to make the postseason for the tenth straight season, long-term, it will be more beneficial for Alec Bohm and for the Philadelphia Phillies to allow the young man to play through his growing pains.