One of the contributing factors to the Philadelphia Phillies‘ slow start has been Alec Bohm’s slump. The 2024 All-Star slashed just .159/.227/.206 in his first 34 games of the 2026 season. His performance resulted in manager Don Mattingly taking him out of the lineup for two straight games earlier in the week as a reset.
“Getting away from the game for a day or two, I guess just settling down and resetting for a day or two can be helpful,” Bohm told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki on May 8.
When Phillies manager Don Mattingly took Bohm out of the lineup on May 7, he called it a reset day for his third baseman. In fact, Mattingly told his third baseman not to pick up a bat that day as part of that reset before resuming his normal work the next day.
The reset appears to have worked. In his first game back, the Phillies’ third baseman had one of the best games of his career. Bohm homered twice, doubled, and drove in four runs in Philadelphia’s 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies at Citizens Bank Park on May 9.
Alec Bohm Bounces Back After Reset
Bohm’s early-season slump has grabbed headlines in Philadelphia. His 21 wRC+ was the second-worst among qualified hitters, behind the Tampa Bay Rays‘ Cedric Mullins. But for one night, he silenced the critics.
Facing Kyle Freeland, Bohm homered in his first two at-bats against the Rockies left-hander, which allowed the Phillies to establish a commanding 7-3 lead. He had gone 33 games since his Opening Day blast. Bohm added a two-run double in the eighth that put the game away.
“It’s a long couple of days, but it was a really good little breather,” said Bohm in a postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast of the game.
Phillies’ TV commentator John Kruk noticed a more relaxed posture in Bohm’s stance and swing in the game. Kruk asked Bohm about that.
“I definitely felt a little more relaxed today. The swing, the talent was just able to take over. It was a lot less effort, a lot less force today.”
After that game, his wRC+ doubled to 43. But for the Phillies, it was a sign of life for one of their key players. Bohm entered the season as their cleanup hitter, so they had high expectations for him already.
Why the Phillies Need Alec Bohm to Step Up
That game was a step in the right direction for a player the Phillies are relying heavily on. Philadelphia came into play on May 8 with the third-worst wRC+ against left-handed pitching at 78 in 2026. To put that into context, the team collectively is 22% worse than the league-average hitter against lefties.
Philadelphia’s lineup is anchored by two key left-handed bats in Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. That means they need some right-handed bats to pick up the slack against left-handed pitching. That was the role in mind for Adolis Garcia, Trea Turner, and Bohm.
Looking at some of the right-handed bats in their lineup, this is how the Phillies are faring against lefties this season in wRC+.
- Alec Bohm: 28
- Trea Turner: 29
- JT Realmuto: 60
- Edmundo Sosa: 80
- Adolis Garcia: 127
Garcia has delivered so far, while Turner and Bohm have been the two biggest disappointments. However, the latter’s big night against Freeland is a positive sign. After his multi-homer barrage, he’s slashing .220/.267/.415 against lefties.
For the Phillies to dig themselves out of their early-season hole, they’ll need Bohm and the rest of their lineup to continue to produce. This game looked like a return to form for the club and their third baseman.
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