Alec
Bohm

5/23/18 - Tall, power hitting corner infielder who has a chance to impact the game with his bat. Selective, aggressive hit approach. Good balance and strength with above average bat speed. A great positive move forward allows him to get everything he has into his free and easy swing. Compact swing for a man his height with great extension through a high finish. Had a plan at the plate and stuck to it. Did not chase any fastballs out of the zone. Crushed the first fastball (86 mph) he saw for a double to right-center field. His towering home run to left field in the second game was against Jonathan Bowlan, a top-five-round pitching prospect, and an 89 mph fastball. On the day, he chased a few average-to-above sliders out of the zone for two strikeouts—one against Bowlan, the other against Riley Cabral. Statistically, Bohm shows little weakness. At 6-foot-5 he already has a bigger strike zone than most, yet he seldom expanded his strike zone. His plate discipline and game power continue to improve each season. Both his walk rates (4.7% as a Freshman / 10.9% as a Sophomore / 15.1% currently this spring) and power production (.186 ISO Freshman / .214 Sophomore / .278 currently) have progressively improved while his strikeout rate has decreased (13.1%/ 11.7%/ 9.3%) each year. Also has an excellent history of hitting with wood in summer leagues, slashing .351/.399/.513 last summer in the Cape Cod League and .330/.407/.552 the previous summer in the Coastal Plains League. His 2018 numbers against RHPs (.357/.466/.650) and LHPs (.279/.359/.544) show a small reverse-platoon split, but when also considering his 2017 spring, the splits are similarly reversed vs. RHPs (.290/.382/.481) and vs. LHPs (.360/.396/.660). Defensively, showed fair actions and hands at third base with near average range. Worked hard during pregame batting practice, taking dozens of ground balls in all directions. High center-of-gravity guy who will need to work even harder on a daily basis to stick at third base over the long term. Showed above average arm strength from a low slot. Flipped the ball more than he threw it. Fair accuracy while throwing on the move and better when his feet were set. Airmailed one throw to first base on a “Sunday hop” grounder a couple steps to his right. So far this season, he’s committed 14 errors (.897) while playing a majority of his games at home on turf. Showed good instincts running the bases with an above average first step on a hit-and-run. Ran a 4.47 down the line on a double-play ground ball. Overall, I like Bohm’s tools, baseball skills, instincts and makeup. And I really like his swing. I’m bearish on his ability to remain at third base long-term. Odds are that he won’t become just the third 6-foot-5 or taller ML third baseman in the last 25 years, Troy Glaus and Kris Bryant being the first two. Glaus was an elite athlete who played shortstop for a top 10 college program (UCLA) and Kris Bryant was almost moved to the outfield during his early years in the Cubs system, and he, too, is a superb athlete. Historically, college third basemen drafted in the top ten overall have a strong history of becoming solid major leaguers. Bohm should continue that track record as a power hitting corner infielder with all-star potential, but in all likelihood, at first base. He will likely be selected within the top five overall picks.