Alec Bohm is Bound for a Breakout 2023 Season
Alec Bohm’s first three seasons in the majors have been anything but easy.
Bohm entered the league as a 23-year-old and put on an absolute clinic his rookie year, slashing .338/.400/.481 in 44 games of the 60-game COVID season. Bohm had an OPS+ of 137 with over one RBI every other game and was swinging as free as any Phillie in my recent memory.
He came into 2021 with a lot of weight on his shoulders after such a hot start and crumbled. He hit just .247/.305/.342, nearly dropping his average by a whole 100 points. Bohm was sent down to Triple-A at the end of the season to help calm him down and go back to fundamentals with his swing, but it appeared the once third-baseman of the future could’ve just been a one-year-wonder.
The most underrated signing of the last offseason wasn’t a player…it was Kevin Long. Long, who has worked with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber back in Washington, along with Trea Turner, who is now a Philadelphia Phillie, is known as one of the best hitting coaches in all of baseball, if not the best. The Phillies, although many see them as a team of veterans, have a lot of young bats in their lineup, and the addition of Kevin Long really was to elevate those guys and take them to the next level.
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It was obvious from the jump that Alec Bohm’s swing was way more relaxed. From his first at-bat of the year, you could tell that he wasn’t chasing. He wasn’t swinging out of his shoes, and he wasn’t trying to pull every baseball, something he really tried to do during his 2021 season.
Alec Bohm really isn’t a power hitter, and that’s okay. But luckily, Long made sure Bohm knew his role in the lineup. There’s no reason to swing for the fences every at-bat. Alec Bohm learned that and completely validated his status in this Phillies lineup for years to come in 2022.
2021 Season Stats (115 Games)
94 Hits, 15 Doubles, .247/.305/.342 (.647), 75 OPS+
2022 Season Stats (152 Games)
164 Hits, 24 Doubles, .280/.315/.398 (.713), 100 OPS+
XBA (Expected Batting Average)
- 2021: .261
- 2022: .290 (Top 2% of League)
K%
- 2021: 26.6%
- 2022: 17.4%
BB%
- 2021: 7.4%
- 2022: 4.9%
oWAR
- 2021: 0.2
- 2022: 2.6
Batted Ball
- Pulling Decreased in %
- Center Increased in %
- Oppo Increased in %
If you’re not a stats person, that’s fine. Anyone that sat down and watched the Phillies in 2022 compared to the Phillies in 2022 could see an obvious change in Alec Bohm. Bohm had his incident with the three-error game early in the season, apologized, and never looked back. He proceeded to have the best month of his career in July, hitting .434/.457/.632 in 76 ABs, crushing 3 HRs and 14 RBIs.
Another year with Kevin Long is only going to help Bohm’s swing. Guys like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber have continued to praise Long’s work over the years. Trea Turner couldn’t stop talking about him during his opening press conference. It’s obvious that Kevin Long has. positive impact on these players, and it’s shown for Alec Bohm just through their first season together.
Alec Bohm’s First Career Playoff Home Run
Originally tweeted by Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) on December 13, 2022.
