Inside The Phillies

Surprising Leader Driving Philadelphia Phillies' Insane Start

Alec Bohm and the Philadelphia Phillies are both off to incredible starts.

Tyler Maher

May 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28).
May 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28). / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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Sunday's series finale was business as usual for the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished off their three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with an 11-5 rout at Citizens Bank Park.

The NL East-leading Phillies pounded the Nationals for 11 runs and 12 hits. That was more than enough run support for Aaron Nola, who was brilliant over seven innings of two-hit ball.

Meanwhile, breakout star Alec Bohm continued to pace the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and a game-high five RBIs. After notching a pair of sacrifice flies, Bohm put the game out of reach with his three-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth.

Bohm's 403-foot rocket was his fifth homer of the season, putting him on pace for a second straight 20-homer campaign. It also extended his hitting streak to six games and raised his RBI total to 42 -- the most in the Majors.

That's not all.

Bohm also leads MLB in doubles (18) and is batting .330/.389/.528. According to FanGraphs, he leads all third basemen in WAR with 2.3 and has nearly a one-win edge in the National League.

His career year is a big reason why Philadelphia is off to one of its best starts in franchise history. The Phillies have won 26 of their last 32 games and are now 34-14, becoming the first team in MLB this season to go 20 games above .500.

Bohm has been Philadelphia's best position player, outproducing established stars like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto. He's been remarkably consistent, hitting safely in 28 of his last 30 games.

Now in his fifth season, the 27-year-old will likely be rewarded with his first All-Star appearance this summer and probably some MVP votes at the end of the season as well.

After several disappointing seasons to begin his career, the former first-round pick has finally hit his stride and is playing up to his potential.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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