Alec

Bohm

It didn’t work out so well last year, but if Bohm gets his power numbers back to where they were in 2023 and ’24, he has a chance to drive in over 100 runs as the Phillies’ cleanup hitter. He offers nice value for someone lasting pretty deep into drafts.

Thomson didn’t say what order the top three guys would bat in, but that’s the order they finished last year in and there wouldn’t seem to be much reason to make a change. The Phillies have tended to rotate cleanup hitters based on whichever right-handed hitter has the hot hand, and that shouldn’t change. One imagines Adolis García will hit sixth initially, unless he can overtake Bohm this spring. Brandon Marsh will probably hit fifth against righties.

Bohm fittingly gets a smaller raise this time after going from $4 million in his first year of arbitration in 2024 to $7.7 million last year. He hit .277/.331/.409 last season, a drop of 40 points of OPS from 2024. More importantly in arbitration, though, is that his RBI count went from 97 in 143 games in 2024 to 59 in 120 games last season. He’s been considered a trade candidate in his final year before free agency, but the Phillies will probably hold on to him unless they think they can upgrade.

Gelb asserts that “The club’s interest in Bichette is legitimate,” and there are some who think the hiring of Don Mattingly, Bichette’s bench coach in Toronto, makes Philadelphia the favorite. As Gelb writes, “if [the meeting] results in a deal, it would likely require the team to move on from roster mainstays J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm.” That would assume that Bichette slots in at third base with Bryson Stott remaining at second base. The need to move on from Realmuto would simply be a financial one. As Gelb notes, “the combination of money allocated for Realmuto being unspent and Bichette’s willingness to move off shortstop has opened the door” for the Phillies to approach Bichette with serious interest. This situation could escalate in the next few days.

Turner returns as Philadelphia’s top-of-the-order table-setter to kick off the postseason after missing a significant portion of September recovering from a hamstring strain. The 32-year-old power/speed combo fantasy star played five innings during last Sunday’s regular-season finale. Here’s the full lineup that will square off against Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in his first career postseason start at Citizens Bank Park: Turner (SS), Kyle Schwarber (DH), Bryce Harper (1B), Alec Bohm (3B), Brandon Marsh (LF), J.T. Realmuto (C), Max Kepler (RF), Harrison Bader (CF) and Bryson Stott (2B).

As a team, the Phillies mustered just seven hits in the ballgame — all of them singles — and Bohm was the only player on the squad to tally more than one. He’s having a solid overall season at the plate despite his lack of power, slashing .287/.332/.411 with 11 homers, 59 RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

The Phillies scratched out a run in the opening inning as Harrison Bader led off with a single, advanced to third on a single by Bryce Harper and scored on Bohm’s RBI ground out. That would be all of the run support that Walker Buehler and company would require in this one. Bohm also singled in the eighth inning. On the season, the 29-year-old is now hitting .285/.331/.410 with 11 homers, 58 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in 491 plate appearances.

Bohm finally seems healthy since coming off the IL with a shoulder injury following an earlier rib injury. The third baseman finally feels healthy and feels as though he isn’t cutting off his swing anymore. “He’s on everything,” said Thomson. “Maybe that healthy shoulder is what we’re looking for.” Bohm moving up in the order could mean J.T. Realmuto, who has slowed of late, would move down.

Bohm smacked a leadoff double off of Eduardo Rodriguez in the second inning but never advanced past second base. He then singled in the eighth inning and scored as Weston Wilson drew a bases-loaded walk. With his three-hit attack, the 29-year-old infielder is now hitting .280/.327/.401 with 10 homers and 55 RBI in his 477 plate appearances.

Bohm’s 412-foot shot off Zac Gallen was the only homer of the game. He’s 4-for-9 with four RBI the last two days, making him look like a nice option for the final week of the season.