The Philadelphia Phillies have called up top prospect Alec Bohm, the team announced Thursday. Bohm will make his MLB debut as the Phillies wrap up a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park (GameTracker). He was penciled in the sixth spot in Philadelphia's order.
The move comes less than a week after the Phillies called up their top pitching prospect, Spencer Howard, who debuted Sunday.
Batting sixth.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 13, 2020
Playing third base.
Making his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/tzyC1c7IXO
The Phillies could give Bohm a chance to test out the everyday third base role or act as the club's designated hitter. In the third base scenario, Jean Segura would likely shift to second base to replace Scott Kingery.
Bohm, 24, was drafted third overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Howard as the 42nd-best prospect in the game.. Here's a snippet of his write-up:
The Phillies tasked [Bohm] with playing 24 games at first base during the minor-league season, and they've continued to crosstrain him there as part of his stint in the Arizona Fall League. Wherever Bohm ends up, this season seemed like a step in the right direction at the plate. In the past he prioritized contact to the point where he didn't seem to make the most of his large frame (he's listed at 6-foot-5 and more than 220 pounds). For reference, he went without a homer in his first 158 professional plate appearances. He showed far more power in 2019, homering 21 times and posting a .213 ISO. That's a promising sign -- and one accompanied by a favorable shift in batted-ball tendencies. If Bohm keeps it up, he could be batting in the middle of the Phillies' order -- and playing some position -- as soon as late next season.
The Phillies were one of the several MLB clubs affected by the Miami Marlins coronavirus outbreak this season. The team was forced to shut down for a week. Entering Thursday, the Phillies sit at the bottom of the National League East with a 5-8 record.
