The Philadelphia Phillies and Alec Bohm find themselves in a familiar situation, with the third baseman again generating plenty of frustration after an inconsistent offensive season.
Much was expected from the veteran entering the final year of his arbitration eligibility, but his production remained below expectations for most of 2026.
Although he has finally shown signs of a late-season turnaround, the improvement may have come too late to convince Philadelphia that he should remain part of the club beyond this season.
Bohm endured one of the worst starts of his career, opening his first 92 games with a .632 OPS and -0.5 fWAR, making him one of the least productive players in the majors during that stretch.
His struggles stood out even more because of his reputation as a reliable run producer who could hit in the heart of Philadelphia’s deep lineup.
Despite his career .274 batting average and previous success at third base and first base, he never found his rhythm early enough this season.
That story has changed dramatically since August, however. Bohm has posted a .377/.426/.525 slash line during the month, translating to a .951 OPS, while his .377 batting average ranks among the best in baseball over that span.
His resurgence has coincided with Philadelphia playing extremely well, going 13-5 since the beginning of August.
The recent production has reminded the organization of what Bohm can contribute when he is consistently making solid contact and extending rallies.
Still, his overall numbers remain underwhelming, with Bohm hitting .242 and carrying a .682 OPS for the season.
His recent surge has helped repair some of the damage from his disastrous first half, but many Phillies supporters may still believe the struggles have outweighed the positive stretch.
When Bohm is productive, he strengthens the lineup by keeping innings alive and setting up the hitters behind him, but when he struggles, his at-bats can become a major source of frustration for both the team and the fan base.
Philadelphia also has another potential solution waiting in the wings in Aidan Miller, who missed the entire 2026 season because of a back problem.
With hopes that Miller returns healthy and eventually earns a promotion, the Phillies could have a long-term answer at third base for 2027.
If Miller develops into the power threat the organization expects, Bohm’s recent resurgence may not be enough to prevent the Phillies from moving in a new direction next season.
