The Phillies have needed more than the usual stars to get their offense moving, and Alec Bohm has given them exactly that over the last month.
Philadelphia’s lineup has been uneven through the 2026 regular season, even with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper doing plenty of the heavy lifting when things are rolling. The problem has been getting enough consistent production around them. That has started to change with Bryson Stott heating up, Justin Crawford improving as his rookie season has gone on, and Bohm turning into one of the club’s most reliable bats in recent weeks.
Bohm’s resurgence was on full display in the Phillies’ 9-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 15. He collected the first five-hit game of his career and doubled three times, continuing the strong stretch he has put together since the All-Star break.
"It was all synced-up tonight. It felt good to square some stuff up."
The numbers behind that run are hard to miss. In the second half, Bohm has posted a .320/.367/.450 slash line across 109 plate appearances, with two home runs, seven doubles and 17 RBI. His tOPS+ sits at 143, while his sOPS+ is 130, a sharp jump from the 87 and 75 marks he put up in the first half.
August has been even better. In 55 plate appearances this month, Bohm has hit .367/.418/.469. He still hasn’t homered, but he has already walked five times, after never drawing more than eight walks in any previous month, and he has struck out only three times.
That surge has made the Phillies’ lineup deeper and tougher to pitch around. Earlier in the season, opposing staffs could lean more heavily on Schwarber, Harper and Brandon Marsh. Bohm’s recent form has helped change that balance.
His play also comes at an important time for his own future. Bohm is set to reach free agency this winter for the first time in his career, and a strong finish would only strengthen his value.
There was plenty of debate when interim manager Don Mattingly kept Bohm in the lineup after Luis Arraez was acquired from the San Francisco Giants before the trade deadline. The move shifted Bohm from third base to first base and sent Harper back to the outfield, where he has dealt with some knee soreness. But Bohm has answered with his best stretch of the season, and for the Phillies, that is a welcome development.
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Bryson Stotts New Role Could Shape The Phillies Offseason Plans
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Stotts shift matters because it could say a lot about where the Phillies see him fitting beyond this season. If he handles third base well, it gives the club another option as it weighs roster construction and offseason decisions. If the move looks temporary, it may only deepen the questions about how Philadelphia wants to arrange an infield that already has several moving parts and no shortage of established names. [Read more 🡒]
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Jhoan Durans Return Just Reopened A Painful Twins Trade Debate
Jhoan Durans trip back to Minnesota arrived with plenty of memory attached, 381 days after the Twins shipped him to Philadelphia. Before the Field of Dreams game, he was recognized with a pregame tribute in the ballpark where he first made his major league debut in 2022, a reminder of how quickly a hard-throwing reliever can become part of a franchises recent history and just as quickly move on.
For Twins fans, the return was bound to stir up the old trade debate, especially with Duran having piled up 74 saves before the deal and continuing to thrive in Philadelphia. He has been just as reliable for the Phillies, posting a 1.70 ERA with 25 saves in 27 chances, which only sharpens the question of what Minnesota gave up and whether this is one of those moves that still looks different depending on which dugout youre sitting in. [Read more 🡒]