Mar 12, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Alec Bohm (28) hots a ground out rbi against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryce Harper has publicly lobbied for more out of the No. 4 spot in the lineup, whoever is hitting there.
Well, if Alec Bohm can do what he's done in the last two Spring Training games with any semblance of consistency, Harper should be a happy superstar.
A day after Bohm homered off the Toronto Blue Jays, he went deep again ... and again ... off the Baltimore Orioles.
Your yearly has Alec Bohm finally unlocked his power? tweet
pic.twitter.com/OdEpeZJsvZ
Bohm's two homers paced a double-digit outburst in an 11-8 Phillies win in Grapefruit League action.
As usual, the results of baseball games in the Grapefruit League, don't matter. And frankly, neither do the statistics.
But some things do matter to individual players as they prepare for the season, and for Bohm, who is entering the most important year of his career to this point -- his last before hitting free agency -- posting three home runs in the span of six at bats in Clearwater certainly has some meaning.
"It's kind of double-edged, right," Bohm said. "They don't count, but it's a sign of good things going on with your swing and that you're in a good spot. So, I think it's meaningful to a hitter, yes, but at the same time you want to see that stuff translate into the season.
"Hitting is hitting, regardless if the game counts, doesn't count, spring training, regular season, postseason, so, yeah, it's kind of meaningful for sure, but for me it's just kind of like a checkpoint. This is the spot I'm in right now and these things are working and just keep building on that."
Bohm be bashing baseballs 👀 pic.twitter.com/df8Zf3CCYR
Bohm has flashed power in the past, and with his frame and his fluid swing and ability to make consistent contact, one would think he'd be a regular 25-homer threat.
Except Bohm has never hit more than 20 homers in a season. He had just 11 in 2025. He's never had an OPS above .779 in a full season (He did in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season).
If the Phillies really want to rely on him to be the cleanup guy everyone wants and the team so desperately needs, then setting career highs in both categories would be ideal.
Manager Rob Thomson thinks he's got it in him.
"He's healthy now," Thomson said. "He went through some stuff the last couple of years and he's healthy. He's bulked up a little bit in the offseason, hitting the weights pretty good and he got stronger and leaner - so I think it's paying off."
Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet syndrome) will face hitters in a live batting practice on Saturday morning but will be limited to 20-25 pitches and will not do an up-down (sit and rest between times on the mound to simulate a half inning when his team would be batting).
Thomson said if all goes well, he'll throw a second live batting practice in a few days, and that one would include an up-down.
Orion Kerkering (right hamstring strain) will also throw a live batting practice on Saturday, his second during his recovery.
Bryan De La Cruz continues to impress for the Phillies. He had two more hits on Friday, upping his spring training average to .333 and his OPS to .881.
While Thomson would prefer that the last guy on the bench be someone who could be in more of a utility role and play both infield and outfield to provide versatility, De La Cruz may be forcing their hand.
With uncertainty about Johan Rojas' situation after testing positive for PED's in the offseason (he is appealing the test, which is why no 80-game suspension has yet to be handed down by Major League Baseball), the Phillies lack much in the way of outfield depth.
De La Cruz would allow them to have another outfield option with significant, Major League playing time, mostly with Miami but also with Pittsburgh and Atlanta. He hit 21 homers for the Marlins and Pirates combined in 2024.
Bryan De La Cruz, who has a clearer path to a bench spot with the Rojas PED news gets the #Phillies on the board with broken back single to score Stott. pic.twitter.com/EyFn6fFH89
"He's experienced," Thomson said. "He's not afraid. He's going to be able to play in this type of atmosphere. He plays solid defense, uses the entire field -- he can hit -- and he's played all year (since) he played winter ball, so he's a little bit ahead of the game compared to everybody else, but he's a good player."
If not De La Cruz, the other guys still in camp who would have a shot at that spot appear to be the versatile glove-first veteran Dylan Moore and Garrett Stubbs, who is going to get a look at third base, second base and in left field - although there might not be enough time left this Spring for the Phillies to experiment with that enough to feel comfortable about it in the regular season.
