Phillies prospect Alec Bohm selected for Futures Game, celebrates by hitting walk-off single on Friday
The third baseman will represent the Phillies on July 7 at the annual showcase of baseball’s top prospects that takes place two days before the All-Star Game.
Alec Bohm’s rapid rise this season through the minor leagues cost the Phillies prospect a chance to be an All-Star. But Friday afternoon brought an even better honor.
Bohm will represent the Phillies on July 7 at the Futures Game, an annual showcase of baseball’s top prospects that takes place two days before the major-league All-Star Game in Cleveland. The third baseman, drafted last June with the third overall pick out of Wichita State, has a .941 OPS this season in 298 plate appearances over three minor-league levels.
Bohm, who will turn 23 in August, opened the season with Class A Lakewood but moved to high-A Clearwater after just 22 games. He played 40 games with the Threshers before getting promoted earlier this month to double-A Reading. Bohm left Lakewood and Clearwater before their leagues named their All-Star rosters and arrived in Reading too late to make the Eastern League game.
“Obviously, he’s had an incredible first half in the batter’s box. He’s done three different levels, and that’s encouraging,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. “But, I think the thing that we’re most pleased with is his defense and the strides that he made on his defense. He reported to spring training about a month before the report date, and he was largely working on his defense. The advances that he’s made this year have been incredible. He’s legitimately turning himself into a two-way guy right now.”
Bohm homered Thursday night in his first home game with Reading. He has nine homers overall this season and is batting .331 with a .406 on-base percentage, 41 strikeouts and 34 walks. Against the Portland Sea Dogs on Friday, Bohm hit a walk-off single that drove in two runs as the Fightin’ Phils won, 5-4, in extra innings.
Bohm has made strides this year in the field and seems able to handle third base at the major-league level. If he keeps up this pace, he’ll be in Philly by next season.
“These players will dictate their own time lines,” Klentak said. “If he continues to hit and continues to make strides defensively, he could continue to move up through the system. I think we also have to leave open the possibility that a lot of players hit a wall and get tired in their first pro season, and that’s possible. Right now, we couldn’t be more pleased with how he’s progressed, and we’re very optimistic for his future.”
The format for the Futures Game changed this year to pit the National League’s prospects against the American League’s instead of having Team USA vs. Team World. The game also was trimmed to seven innings and moved from the afternoon to a prime-time start of 7 p.m. on MLB Network.
Jim Thome will manage the American League team, with Charlie Manuel as his bench coach. Former Phillie Nick Punto will coach first base.
Extra bases
The Phillies activated Tommy Hunter from the injured list, optioned Adam Haseley to triple A, and designated Fernando Salas for assignment. Haseley could have returned to the Phillies in a bench role, but the team wants him to get regular at-bats at triple A. ... Phillies minor-league pitchers Engel Esteves and Robinson Martinez and catcher Carlos Oropeza were suspended 25 games for violating the Minor-League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Estevez and Oropeza were in the Gulf Coast League, while Martinez had pitched this season for single-A Lakewood. ... David Robertson (elbow soreness) will not return before the All-Star Break as he originally hoped but should return in July. ... Zach Eflin will start Saturday afternoon against Marlins righthander Jordan Yamamoto.