Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Maligned Infielder Receives High Marks in Recent Rankings

An MLB insider has given a Philadelphia Phillies infielder a high spot in his recent position rankings.

Kenneth Teape

Aug 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) hits an RBI single against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Aug 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) hits an RBI single against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Phillies look like they are going to be amongst the best teams in baseball again this year with nearly their entire core from the 95-win group from 2024 returning to the mix.

The defending National League East champions are going to face challenges to retain that title from the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, but they also have a roster that can go toe-to-toe with virtually anyone in the league.

One of the players people will be keeping a close eye on throughout the campaign is third baseman Alec Bohm.

It will be interesting to see how he handles what was a roller coaster winter, as his name was mentioned in a ton of trade rumors.

Will he respond in a positive manner, using it as motivation to continue his development and cement his status as a core member of the Phillies moving forward?

Philadelphia is certainly hoping that is the case.

They took him off the trade block after about a month of fielding calls. Rumors have swirled that it only occurred because the asking price for him was too high.

Whatever the reason may be for something not getting done, Bohm remains as the starting third baseman for the Phillies.

That certainly isn’t a bad thing, as he is one of the best players at the hot corner in the league.

Buster Olney of ESPN recently revealed his positional power rankings, and Bohm was amongst the top 10 at third base, coming in at No. 9.

One of the reasons he isn’t higher on the list is the disappearing act he did in the second half of 2024.

Bohm was named an All-Star for the first time, recording a slash line of .295/.348/.482 in the first half with 11 home runs, 33 doubles and 70 RBI across 402 plate appearances.

It was a true breakout performance from the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He was lengthening the team’s lineup, providing them with another legitimate middle-of-the-order bat to go along with Bryce Harper while veteran Nick Castellanos had his struggles.

Alas, the pace ended up not being sustainable, as his numbers fell off in the second half.

In 49 games and 204 plate appearances, he had a slash line of .251/.299/.382 with only four home runs, 11 doubles and 27 RBI. His OPS dropped 149 points as his advanced stats were all well below replacement level.

Still only 28 years old, Bohm has shown he is capable of providing All-Star-level production.

Whether he can do that over the course of an entire 162-game campaign and not just one half is something he still needs to prove.

Philadelphia made the smart decision to keep him since he is one of the youngest members of their lineup and is under team control for two more seasons.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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