Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm is struggling out of the gate following an offseason full of trade speculation. Though many expected him to be moved, the Phillies ultimately kept him on the roster. Through 11 games, Bohm is slashing just .160/.176/.180 with no home runs and three RBIs.
His advanced metrics are also concerning, including a -1 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR, along with a .161 wOBA and a .200 BABIP. Among qualified players, only Willson Contreras has a lower wRC+ and fWAR, while Dylan Crews has a similarly poor start with an equal fWAR and worse wRC+.
Despite the slow start, there’s still plenty of time for Bohm to rebound as the season is just beginning.
Bad Start For Alec Bohm Impacting Phillies Lineup
Could Be Bad Luck
This season, Alec Bohm has a 19.6% strikeout rate and a very low 2.0% walk rate — tied for the lowest among qualified hitters who’ve drawn at least one walk. However, some of his struggles might come down to bad luck.
His .180 slugging percentage is far below his expected slugging (.442), and his .161 wOBA trails his expected wOBA (.314) by a wide margin. According to Baseball Savant, he’s in the 60th percentile for xSLG and 45th percentile for xwOBA.
He’s also improved in key areas, posting better barrel and hard-hit rates than last year. Notably, Bohm has a career-high 88.9% contact rate and is swinging at 50.6% of pitches. Baseball Savant also places him in the 62nd percentile for barrel rate.
Changes Made to the Batting Order
Bohm was dropped to the seventh spot in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Braves, with Nick Castellanos taking over the cleanup role. Typically, Bohm bats third when facing a left-handed starter and fourth against a righty.
This usually depends on whether Trea Turner or Kyle Schwarber is leading off—Turner at leadoff pushes Bohm to third, while Schwarber puts him in the fourth spot. For now, Bohm is expected to stay near the bottom of the order, likely in the seventh or eighth position.
With Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh batting eighth and ninth, respectively, placing Bohm between them could help balance the lineup by spacing out the left-handed hitters.
Bohm’s Impact On Team Performance
Alec Bohm’s rough start to the season has affected the Phillies overall. While Edmundo Sosa is off to a strong start, manager Rob Thomson told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki that Bohm is expected to stay in the lineup. Kody Clemens, a left-handed hitter, has only made two plate appearances across two games, making it unlikely he’d step in regularly if Bohm were benched.
Bohm has been a liability at times, grounding into three double plays and lacking discipline at the plate. For instance, he ended the April 5 game against the Dodgers with a double play on the first pitch he saw. To turn things around, he’ll need to show more patience at the plate—something several of his teammates have done well.
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