Categories: 2020 Season Preview

Phillies Nation 2020 Season Preview: Alec Bohm

The 2020 regular season is scheduled to begin in late July, which means it’s finally time to talk some baseball! To prepare you for the season, Phillies Nation will be taking an in-depth look at all of your favorite players. Here’s a review of Alec Bohm’s 2019 season as well as what to expect from the prospect in 2020.

Alec Bohm rose through the Phillies’ system in 2019, proving himself to be the top hitting prospect in the organization. Now in the 2020 season, it appears that Bohm will have a chance to see how his game will translate to the majors.

Alec Bohm is the Phillies’ top hitting prospect. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)

The 2018 first-round pick displayed strong on-base skills and an ability to hit for power across three minor-league levels last year. His defense at third base was not as advanced as his bat, but he still showed the potential he has as a player. Following his strong campaign in 2019, Bohm will now be a candidate to play third or designated hitter for the Phillies once the season gets underway.

2019 Statline: 125 G, 540 PA, 21 HRs, 80 RBIs, .305/.378/.518, .896 OPS

2019 Season in Review

Bohm began last season in Low-A Lakewood. Already 22 years old and an experienced college hitter upon being drafted the year before, that level was not much of a challenge for the right-handed bat. He had a 1.036 OPS in 22 games before being sent to High-A Clearwater.

The success continued in Clearwater for Bohm. He posted a .902 OPS in 40 games, earning him a promotion to Double-A for the remainder of the season.

The power came along when Bohm arrived in Reading. After hitting seven in his first 62 games of the season, Bohm hit 14 home runs in his final 63 games of the year in Double-A. He had an OPS of .844 for the Reading Fightin Phils.

In the field, Bohm spent a majority of his time at third, but also got time at first base. He made some nice plays over the course of season, but defense was certainly not his strong suit. Still, the bat was strong at multiple levels, warranting him a spot in the Arizona Fall League upon the completion of the season.

2020 Season Preview

Bohm, now 23, was all but a lock to start the season in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. However, the spread of COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of this year’s Minor League Baseball season, so that is no longer a possibility.

The right-handed hitter was not included on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster, and will instead train in Lehigh Valley with the rest of the 60-man player pool that is not on the active roster. But that does not mean that Bohm will not play a role with the Phillies this year.

It is expected that Bohm will make the majors at some point in 2020. The team can force Bohm to hit free agency a year later by not calling him up until six days into the season. It appears that the possibility for service time manipulation would make it unlikely for him to make his debut until then.

Once the date passes that Bohm cannot earn a full year of service time, the Phillies could bring him to the major-league roster to use in several ways. It is possible that he could split time at designated hitter with Jay Bruce and others on the team. He could also play third base, pushing Jean Segura to second base and Scott Kingery to center field. Either way, expect the team’s top hitting prospect to get a chance to show that he is ready for the majors at some point during this 60-game sprint.

Check out our other 2020 season previews