Phillies’ Alec Bohm to compete in home run derby

Alec Bohm made a promise to his summer ball coach, Scott Wingo, after he won the home run derby at the Coastal Plain League All-Star game in 2016.

“I just always said, if I ever do one [in the big leagues], I’ll call you,” Bohm said.

Eight years later, Wingo got that call. He threw to Bohm — who was in college at Wichita State and playing summer ball for the Wilmington Sharks — in the derby back in 2016, and, if all goes according to plan, Wingo will throw to him in the home run derby later this month.

“I texted him and asked him how busy he was the next couple of weeks,” Bohm said. “He said not very busy. He was excited.”

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Bohm has hit 11 home runs this season, and has never hit more than 20 in a season, but expects to fare better in this setting.

“They’re not throwing 97 with sink,” he said, adding that he is not trying to hit home runs in games.

For the derby, he’ll be in a batting practice-type setting and hit as many home runs in a three-minute period as he can.

“I’m just going to see how many I can hit over the left field fence, basically,” he said. “In the game, obviously, I don’t have a lot of home runs. In the game, I’m not trying to hit home runs. I’m just trying to hit the ball on the middle of the barrel. And whatever happens after that happens. And hopefully the swing is good enough to hit in the air and put it in the gap and do some damage.

“But in a BP scenario, I feel comfortable — I’m not going to say it’s a different swing, but it’s probably not the game swing, so as far as messing up my swings or things like that, I don’t really have a worry with that. It’s just kind of taking a three-minute round of batting practice. Instead of trying to get my swing loose for the game, just trying to homer.”

The derby will take place July 15 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Major League Baseball announced Friday.

Bohm, 27, has an NL-best 70 RBIs entering the weekend. He is the second confirmed slugger to compete in the home run derby. Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson was the first when he made the announcement while mic’d up during Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.

Bohm will start at third base for the National League in the July 16 All-Star Game after earning the second-highest vote total among NL players in the first round of balloting. He defeated six-time All-Star Manny Machado in the final round. He will be joined by Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and first baseman Bryce Harper in the starting lineup.

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A few players, like Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge will not participate in the derby. But for Bohm, it wasn’t a question.

“I could’ve [said no], but I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to do it again,” he said. “So might as well do it.”