Phillies prospect Alec Bohm gets a nod of approval from Charlie Manuel
The former Phillies manager has been impressed with the fast-rising third baseman.
CLEVELAND -- Charlie Manuel leaned Sunday afternoon against the batting cage at Progressive Field, assuming the position where he always seems most comfortable.
Baseball’s premier prospects filtered through and Manuel, wearing pinstriped Phillies pants despite being an American League coach for the Futures Game, nodded with each practice swing they took before the annual showcase of baseball’s best young talent.
And in stepped Alec Bohm, the player drafted last year by the Phillies who is zooming through the minor leagues and growing accustomed to the sight of Manuel nodding from the cage. Manuel scouted him in college, has watched him in the minors, and was standing behind him in Cleveland.
“Every time I see him, we have a great talk about hitting,” Bohm said. “He’s forgotten more about hitting than a lot of people will ever know. He’s helped me a lot.”
The Phillies dispatched Manuel to Wichita State last year to scout the third baseman they were targeting with last June’s third overall pick. Manuel noted that Bohm would need to improve his defense, but he nodded at the way Bohm worked a count and looked for good pitches to hit.
He saw him last fall in Clearwater, Fla., when the 6-foot-5 Bohm and some teammates cranked up the pitching machines at the Phillies’ complex to test themselves against triple-digit fastballs. Manuel nodded at Bohm’s work ethic and nodded again when he saw how far the ball traveled.
“It was amazing, really,” Manuel said.
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When Manuel’s not at the ballpark, he fires up his two computer monitors and iPad to stream as much baseball he can. He has watched Bohm closely this season as he jumped from low-A Lakewood to high-A Clearwater to double-A Reading.
He nodded at the way Bohm’s defense was improving at third base. Bohm stayed in Clearwater for most of the winter to work on his defense before spring training opened. And Manuel nodded at the way Bohm battled pitchers in each at-bat with an approach that reminds him of Rhys Hoskins'.
“He puts the ball in play with two strikes ... and he hits the ball all over the field,” Manuel said. “He’s a line-drive hitter and as he matures, the power will be there. ... He’s going to hit some home runs.”
Bohm played 22 games in Lakewood, moved to Clearwater for 40 games, and has played 15 games with Reading. He cracked that he’s become good at packing bags. He’s also proved to be the hitter the Phillies thought he was when they drafted him. Bohm is batting .325 with a .929 OPS and 10 homers in 335 plate appearances. He’s struck out just 47 times and walked 36 times in 77 games.
This is Bohm’s first full professional season and it is quite possible that his production will fade as the summer continues. He has already played more baseball than ever this season. It has been a grind, Bohm said. But if he continues to produce, the Phillies could opt to be aggressive with him, especially if they remain in the playoff hunt in August and September. If not, Bohm will surely find himself next season in the majors. Third base is wide open.
“People always talk about how guys go from double A to the big leagues all the time, so when you look across the field and realize who you’re playing with, you think, ‘All right, these guys are legit, these guys are good,’” Bohm said.
The Phillies promoted Bohm two weeks ago to Reading and he instantly noticed how many Phillies fans filled the stands and how the TVs at Berks County restaurants are often tuned to the big-league team. He is just 70 miles from Citizens Bank Park and the major leagues are starting to feel close.
They felt even closer on Sunday when Bohm stepped onto a major-league field two days before the All-Star Game. And it must have been a bit comforting to look behind the batting cage and see Manuel. Bohm drove a ball into the wind and off the left-field wall. Manuel nodded.
“He has a chance to be a big-time hitter in the major leagues,” Manuel said. “I think his size will play up big for him in his career, especially if he improves defense. His bat is going to carry him and he’s going to be a big-league player. I think when it’s all said and done and his career balances out where it should be, I’m looking at a guy who is going to hit anywhere from .285 to .300 and hit anywhere from 25 to 30 to 40 home runs.”
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