Alec Bohm homers in memorable home debut in Reading

Alec Bohm is the Phillies No. 1 overall prospect. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)

Philadelphia Phillies top prospect Alec Bohm joined Double-A Reading last Friday, but the team was on the road so he did not get to reap the benefits of hitting in FirstEnergy Stadium until Thursday night.

The wait seemed to be worth it, though, as Bohm sent a two-run shot right under the scoreboard in left-center field in his second at-bat at his new home stadium:

It was Bohm’s second home run with Reading and his ninth overall on the season. Bohm later added a single and a walk.

Defensively, the Phillies No. 1 overall prospect was very good as well. He was instrumental in the Fightin’ Phils escaping the top of the seventh inning unscathed. With Reading up by only a run, Portland loaded the bases with no outs. Bohm recorded the first out on a ground ball that he came home with, cutting down the runner at the plate. The next batter hit another grounder to Bohm that he turned into a double-play to end the inning.

Bohm did have a throwing error in the game, the first error he’s made in Double-A. Reading would go on to win 6-1.

An interesting note about this game; with Adam Haseley on a rehab assignment, the Phillies last four first round picks from 2015-18 were in the game for Reading – Bohm (2018), Haseley (2017), Mickey Moniak (2016) and Cornelius Randolph (2015). Also, as Mike Drago of The Reading Eagle noted, two other very accomplished Phillies third basemen homered in their first games in Reading – Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen.

Phillies prospects seem to find their power stroke while in Reading. Scott Kingery hit 18 home runs in 69 games with Reading in 2017, that after he only hit 13 total in the two seasons prior. In 2016, Rhys Hoskins launched 38 home runs in 135 games in Reading after totaling 26 in the previous two years combined.

Bohm has gotten off to somewhat of a slow start in Reading, as he has a .217 average in six games. That’s obviously a minuscule sample size. He does have the two home runs and he’s already walked five times and driven in four runs. As he continues to play in FirstEnergy Stadium, his numbers should rise swiftly. For the season, Bohm is slashing .331/.406/.535 with nine home runs, 20 doubles, 42 RBIs and 46 runs scored in only 68 games.