Reports suggest the Phillies plan to elevate Alec Bohm into the cleanup role. Following an offseason clouded by trade speculation, Bohm has delivered strong play that reinforces his importance to Philadelphia.
His postseason results in past years have been underwhelming, but overall, Bohm has been a steady contributor during his tenure with the club, highlighted by an All-Star selection last season.
“I’ll probably have to move him up in the lineup,” manager Rob Thomson said after Bohm’s performance, via Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bryce Harper speaks out on Phillies’ latest decision
The question for Alec Bohm now is whether pitchers will give him more to hit. With stars like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner anchoring the Phillies’ lineup when healthy, Bohm should, in theory, get some favorable pitches.
Harper, though, doesn’t believe that will be the case.
He stressed that his comment wasn’t meant as a slight, noting that whenever Philadelphia has hitters capable of consistently putting the ball in play, it creates opportunities for success.
“I doubt it,” Harper said.
“I don’t mean that negatively,” he added. “Having a guy behind you who makes contact, gets on base, and forces pitchers to throw strikes is always a big advantage.”
This postseason could prove especially significant for the Phillies as they continue their push for a World Series title. Despite multiple deep playoff runs in recent years, the franchise has yet to finish the job and capture the championship
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