2018 MLB Draft to the Show: Then & Now Alec Bohm
August 27, 2020
Just one month into the 2020 MLB Season, we’ve already seen 13 debuts by 2018 draft selections. Today, we begin a slightly different approach to our Then & Now series by looking at the amateur reports of those 2018 prospects who have made it to The Show. First up was the No. 1 overall selection and top prospect from the 2018 PBR Draft Board Casey Mize.
Now Batting: Our No. 9 ranked prospect Alec Bohm.
To check out our Then & Now series from this past spring featuring 2020 draft prospects, please see Draft HQ/Then & Now.
Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies (Wichita State) 1st Round (No. 3 overall)
Undrafted as a high school senior from Nebraska, Bohm was an immediate contributor to the Wichita State lineup hitting .303 with six home runs in 51 games as a true freshman. After two more years as a Shocker and a .293/.368/.474 slash in 614 at-bats in the minor leagues, the just-turned 24 year old doubled in his first MLB at-bat. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds the jury is still out whether he holds down the hot corner for the bulk of his career, but so far, so good as he continues to make strides defensively with his footwork, positioning and angles to the ball.
MLB.com Debut Video & Boxscore
THEN 2018: Here’s what we had to say about Bohm on May 23, 2018…”Tall, power hitting corner infielder who has a chance to impact the game with his bat. Selective, aggressive hit approach. Good balance and strength with above average bat speed. A great positive move forward allows him to get everything he has into his free and easy swing. Compact swing for a man his height with great extension through a high finish. Had a plan at the plate and stuck to it. Did not chase any fastballs out of the zone. Crushed the first fastball (86 mph) he saw for a double to right-center field. His towering home run to left field in the second game was against Jonathan Bowlan, a top-five-round pitching prospect, and an 89 mph fastball. On the day, he chased a few average-to-above sliders out of the zone for two strikeouts—one against Bowlan, the other against Riley Cabral. Statistically, Bohm shows little weakness. At 6-foot-5 he already has a bigger strike zone than most, yet he seldom expands his strike zone. His plate discipline and game power continue to improve each season. Both his walk rates (4.7% as a Freshman / 10.9% as a Sophomore / 15.1% currently this spring) and power production (.186 ISO Freshman / .214 Sophomore / .278 currently) have progressively improved while his strikeout rate has decreased (13.1%/ 11.7%/ 9.3%) each year. Also has an excellent history of hitting with wood in summer leagues, slashing .351/.399/.513 last summer in the Cape Cod League and .330/.407/.552 the previous summer in the Coastal Plains League. His 2018 numbers against RHPs (.357/.466/.650) and LHPs (.279/.359/.544) show a small reverse-platoon split, but when also considering his 2017 spring, the splits are similarly reversed vs. RHPs (.290/.382/.481) and vs. LHPs (.360/.396/.660). Defensively, showed fair actions and hands at third base with near average range. Worked hard during pregame batting practice, taking dozens of ground balls in all directions. High center-of-gravity guy who will need to work even harder on a daily basis to stick at third base over the long term. Showed above average arm strength from a low slot. Flipped the ball more than he threw it. Fair accuracy while throwing on the move and better when his feet were set. So far this season, he’s committed 14 errors (.897) while playing a majority of his games at home on turf. Showed good instincts running the bases with an above average first step on a hit-and-run. Ran a 4.47 down the line on a double-play ground ball. Overall, I like Bohm’s tools, baseball skills, instincts and makeup. And I really like his swing. However, I’m bearish on his ability to remain at third base long-term. Odds are that he won’t become just the third 6-foot-5 or taller MLB third baseman in the last 25 years, Troy Glaus and Kris Bryant being the first two. Glaus was an elite athlete who played shortstop for a top 10 college program (UCLA) and Kris Bryant was almost moved to the outfield during his early years in the Cubs system, and he, too, is a superb athlete. Historically, college third basemen drafted in the top ten overall have a strong history of becoming solid major leaguers. Bohm should continue that track record as a power hitting corner infielder with all-star potential, but in all likelihood, at first base in the long term. He will likely be selected within the top five overall picks.”