The Philadelphia Phillies have been getting a lot of haters lately, but honestly, they’re not doing too shabby this season. They’re sitting at 17-13 as of Thursday and have won three out of their last four games. The team is stacked with talent and is currently holding down second place in the NFC East. They’re only 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets, who are killing it at 21-10.
One player who’s been taking a beating in the press is third baseman Alec Bohm. His numbers haven’t been great this season, with a .221/.252/.274 slash line, zero homers, and eight RBIs in 28 games. He’s even in the negative in wins above replacement at -1. Ouch.
Last year’s All-Star is not living up to expectations, with Bleacher Report even dubbing him the team’s “LVP” or least valuable player. According to Kerry Miller, Bohm needs to step up his game. “Still waiting on Bohm’s first home run of the season, though. In fact, if you include the postseason, he has hit just four home runs in 333 plate appearances since partaking in the 2024 Home Run Derby.”
But hey, the Phillies aren’t all doom and gloom. Bryce Harper is holding it down as the team’s MVP. Miller points out, “Close call between Harper and Kyle Schwarber, but we’ll take the one with five home runs, six stolen bases and a requirement to actually bring a glove to the ballpark.”
Harper might not be hitting as well as he has in the past, but he’s showing improvement. “Harper’s batting average is a bit low by his two-time MVP standards, but he’s both walking more and striking out less than usual.”
So, while Bohm might be struggling, Harper is there to pick up the slack. The Phils are still in the game and have plenty of time to turn things around. Let’s see where they go from here.
