Phillies promote prospect Alec Bohm to double A. How quickly could he reach the majors?

A year ago, Alec Bohm received his first taste of professional baseball with a stint in the Gulf Coast League after being drafted by the Phillies in the first round.

Now, Bohm is just two steps away from the major leagues.

The third baseman was promoted Thursday night to double-A Reading and will join the team Friday in Portland, Maine. Bohm, who will turn 23 in August, was drafted third overall in 2018 after his junior season at Wichita State.

Reading will be his third team this season; he started in Class A Lakewood before moving quickly to high-A Clearwater.

Bohm hit .342 with a .947 OPS in 62 games with Lakewood and Clearwater. He had 35 strikeouts and 29 walks in 270 plate appearances, with seven homers. Concerns about Bohm’s defense were alleviated last month when he was named the organization’s minor-league defender of the month.

Bohm played 40 games with Clearwater before being bumped to double A. If he does the same with Reading, that would get him to triple A by the beginning of August. A good month in triple A, and Bohm could be in the conversation to spend September in the majors, joining the Phillies just in time for a possible playoff race.

It would seem like a fast ascent, but Bohm is just four months younger than Adam Haseley, who reached the majors last month. The Phillies will not rush him to the big leagues, but they will be aggressive, just like they were with Haseley.

The Phillies need a third baseman. It is unlikely that they will enter the final month of the season with Sean Rodriguez, Brad Miller, or Maikel Franco manning third base. They could add a centerfielder before the trade deadline and slide Scott Kingery to third. If not, they could promote Bohm in September.

It can be expected that Bohm will be the Phillies’ starting third baseman in 2020. Perhaps they will push the clock ahead a few months.