Wichita State third baseman Alec Bohm was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies with the No. 3 pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, taking one of the top college hitters off the board.
Phillies draft Wichita State 3B Alec Bohm 3rd overall in the first round
The 6’5 Bohm hit .339/.436/.625 with 16 home runs and 14 doubles in 57 games as a junior in 2018 for the Shockers, and was named a first team All-American by Baseball America.
“Alec Bohm is a tremendous offensive player,” Phillies director of amateur scouting Johnny Almaraz said. “He is a middle of the order bat, a big power-hitting third baseman who could be a .300 hitter and drive in 100-plus runs. We are thrilled to have selected him.”
Bohm’s bat is his calling card, but his future defensive position as a professional remains in question.
“Bohm has done as much as anyone in the 2018 class to prove himself with the bat, but where the questions will surface for him are on the defensive side,” wrote Baseball America, who ranked Bohm as the seventh-best prospect in this draft. “Some scouts think Bohm will eventually have to move to first base, while others believe his strong arm will be enough for him to stay at the hot corner.”
John Sickels of SB Nation’s Minor League Ball said power is Bohm’s best tool, but was also impressed by another aspect of his hitting:
The thing that stands out most to me, having watched him develop over the last couple of years, is the very significant improvement in his approach. He was very aggressive as a freshman and while he was still productive, I felt his swing mechanics could get choppy and longish. He didn’t strike out that much but his strength didn’t always translate into game power.
Bohm was one of six amateur players to attend the MLB Draft at the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The No. 3 pick has an allotted slot bonus value of $6,947,500.
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