Alec Bohm Can’t Be The Phillies Cleanup Hitter

For years, the Phillies have failed to give adequate protection to Bryce Harper. The 4 Hole has been a giant hole in their lineup. Between Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and JT Realmuto, none has offered Harper adequate protection. To the point that last season, Bryce Harper saw the fewest strikes in baseball. Out of frustration, Harper started to chase more.

That problem gets elevated in the playoffs every year. We saw the Astros, Diamondbacks, Mets, and Dodgers all avoid giving Harper anything to hit. There was never any fear of walking Harper, because no one feared the Phillies cleanup hitter.

The Phillies failed to address that problem again this offseason. They tried to sign Bo Bichette. We don't know where he would have hit; it either would have been 4th, or he would have hit 2nd and moved either Harper or Schwarber into the cleanup role. But he is a Met, and reports suggest Alec Bohm will hit cleanup once again.

Here is why that cannot happen.

We are obviously still 7 months away from October. But October is where the Phillies' problems begin and end. We know this lineup can function in the regular season. But the calendar turns to October, and the bats go cold. This cleanup issue plays a big part in that.

Bohm has arguably been their worst postseason performer. His slash line in the post-season is a paltry .225/.327/.333/.660. Many consider him an RBI Machine in the regular season, but his clutchness vanishes in October, with just 14 RBIs in 38 games. That is despite hitting in the cleanup spot behind Harper, Turner, and Schwarber.

You might be thinking, well those 3 have not performed either. And sure, there are situations they came up small in. But a simple look at their overall playoff stats will show you they have produced plenty.

Harper has the 5th-best playoff OPS since 2022. Schwarber has the most playoff HRs.

The thing is, you can't expect even star players to be great in every game or series. Shohei Ohtani had nearly no impact vs the Phillies last year, or vs the Yankees in the World Series in 2024. Every star hitter needs his teammates to pick them up. The Dodgers have gotten that. The Phillies have never gotten that from their usual cleanup hitter.

It is abundantly clear at this point that Alec Bohm is not adequate protection for Harper or Schwarber. So who should hit cleanup? That is the problem, they don;lt have many good options.

The other players who have spent time in that 4 hole are Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto. Castellanos is gone and was never a good solution in that role. Realmuto is still a great catcher, but his bat has clearly degraded over the past few years.

Their best answer might be a new face. Adolis García. Garcia has struggled in the past two years. Signing him is a major roll of the dice. But he has a few things going for him.

One, he has the power potential to scare opposing pitchers. It's doubtful anyone fears him right now after his struggles in 24 and 25. But in 23, he was a scary hitter to face. He hit 39 HRs in the regular season and 8 more in the playoffs. He also won ALCS MVP.

Is he a perfect option? No. I can't say he is even a good option. But we know Alec Bohm is not a good cleanup hitter. He is adequate in the regular season and a clutch hitter with RISP. But come playoffs, teams will happily pitch around Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber every single time to face Bohm. The Phillies wanted to move on from Bohm, but had to settle for bringing him back once they lost out on Bichette. They know he is not a good option.

Garcia might be. It's a long shot, and the Phillies should have brought in a better option. But they didn't. The Phillies are likely stuck with the lineup they have until the trade deadline. If Garcia does not bounce back, they will need to go out and trade for someone. Even if Garcia plays great, they should still look for lineup help at the deadline.

But until they can address that, or unless someone like Aidan Miller blows everyone away and makes the team and immediately looks like a star, Garcia is the best option they have.

Alec Bohm is not a viable option. We have seen that story play out, and we know that in October, he does not show up enough to be the cleanup hitter. The Phillies need someone to protect Harper, and the only potential good option on the roster is Adolis Garcia.