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Phillies minor-league report: First-round pick Alec Bohm promoted after three games in rookie league

Unsurprisingly, the third baseman out of Wichita State has already been sent to short-season Williamsport.

Alec Bohm, after getting picked third overall by the Phillies in this year's MLB draft, has been promoted from a Gulf Coast League team to short-season Williamsport.
Alec Bohm, after getting picked third overall by the Phillies in this year's MLB draft, has been promoted from a Gulf Coast League team to short-season Williamsport.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Alec Bohm's first minor-league stop was a brief one.

The third baseman from Wichita State, selected third overall in June's first-year player draft, began his career with the Phillies' Gulf Coast League team. After going 5 for 10 (all singles) in three games, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Bohm was promoted to short-season Williamsport this week.

"He was right on fastballs, which is something you don't always see with guys coming out of college baseball where they see a lot of secondary pitches," said Joe Jordan, the Phillies' director of player development, who saw Bohm's first three games.

Entering Thursday, Bohm had played in three games for Williamsport and was 2 for 10.

Jordan said there is no timetable as to how long Bohm, who turns 22 on Aug. 3, will be at Williamsport.

"He will tell us how long he needs to be there by his performance," Jordan said. "If it is all summer, that is fine. Our goal is to watch him all summer, evaluate him and see what he will need from us."

Jordan said the plan will be to have Bohm participate in the Instructional League after the season.

>>READ MORE: Pat Neshek could return this week

Lakewood’s pitching

Brad Bergesen is in his first year as a pitching coach after retiring as a player and he feels fortunate that his initial assignment is with single-A Lakewood.

The BlueClaws have already thrown 17 shutouts this season.

"It is my first year coaching and I just got done playing in Venezuela and this opportunity arose and I feel very fortunate," Bergesen said in a telephone interview.

The 32-year-old Bergesen pitched four seasons in the major leagues: three with Baltimore and another with Arizona.

Lakewood uses a six-man rotation, and nine pitchers have started this season. Here are Bergesen's impressions on some of them:

Will Stewart

20 (turns 21 July 14), 6-2, 175, LHP (6-0, 1.17 ERA, 63 Ks, 11 BB, 76 2/3 IP)

"Will Stewart's bread and butter has been his two-seamer and his change-up. He has great confidence out there and his curve and slider have shown good flashes."

Ramon Rosso

22, 6-4, 215, RHP (5-1, 1.33 ERA, 81 Ks, 20 BB, 67 1/3 IP)

"Rosso has been rock solid, very consistent, good fastball, good cut, good movement and the slider is a plus pitch for him."

>>READ MORE: Enyel De Los Santos is flourishing at triple A

David Parkinson

22, 6-2, 210, LHP (6-1, 1.13, 81 Ks, 22 BB, 64 IP)

"The thing that has impressed me about him is his sequencing and command. To me, it is advanced. He has a really good idea how to set up pitches."

Damon Jones

23, 6-5, 225, LHP (6-2, 1.86, 67 Ks, 29 BB, 63 IP)

"He is a power arm who gets good angle on his pitches and has a heavy fastball. His curve and slider have shown outstanding flashes, but he is looking to get more consistency in them."

Kyle Young

20, 6-10, 205, LHP (2-3, 3.19, 32 Ks, 6 BB, 36 IP)

"For his size you would think he is a work in progress, but he is an athlete and has a really good feel for four pitches and is absolutely a competitor when out there."

Others who have started at least six games are RHP Connor Brogdon, 23, 6-6, 192 (2-2, 3.93) and RHP Spencer Howard, 23, 6-3, 205 (3-7 5.64).

New at Reading

Outfielder-first baseman Austin Listi, a 17th-round choice in last year's draft from Dallas Baptist University, was recently promoted to Reading after hitting .344 at Clearwater. The 24-year-old Listi was a four-year college player and made a lot of progress in his one year in the organization.

"The competitive side in me said I should have been drafted higher, but I just wanted an opportunity to play and am happy the Phillies took a chance on me," said Listi, who entered Thursday hitting .278 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in his first 10 games for double-A Reading.

First-round updates

Outfielder Adam Haseley, a first-round pick in last year's draft out of Virginia, entered Thursday hitting .299 with three home runs, 35 RBIs and a .741 OPS at Clearwater. He has been hitting .337 in June.

"Adam, for me, is right where he needs to be," Jordan said. "I like what he is doing and some point of time his performance will probably tell us he needs another challenge and if that happens, great."

Clearwater centerfielder Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has returned after missing time following the removal of his wisdom teeth. He was hitting .251.

"Before he was sidelined, he was catching up to the league and I am excited to see him in the second half," Jordan said.

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