The Philadelphia Phillies got off to a strong start to the season, but have gone into a bit of a funk of late.
There are plenty of expectations for the Phillies this year after a disappointing end to the campaign in 2025. However, despite a hot start, Philadelphia has really cooled off.
After an impressive series win against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Phillies have a 2-5 record since then.
With series losses coming to the banged-up Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals, there is some cause for concern.
One of the main reasons for the struggles has been key players in the lineup struggling to produce. These issues go back to the end of last year and trickled into the postseason.
Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) recently spoke about the biggest problem for the Phillies being the lack of production from All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm.
“Things have turned again in a negative direction. Bohm sputtered in the second half, was benched for a game in the Division Series loss to the Mets and the subject of constant trade fodder all winter.”
The struggles of Bohm have certainly become a major issue for the team in 2025, and it goes back to the second half of last year.
Bohm’s fall off in production was shocking to see in 2024, as he was an All-Star. In the first half of last year, he slashed .295/.348/.482 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI. It looked like the talented slugger was finally having his breakout season. However, things turned south after the All-Star break.
In the second half, he slashed .251/.299/.382 with four home runs and 27 RBI.
Things didn’t improve in the postseason for Bohm. He totaled just one hit and was benched in one of the games.
During the winter, his name was frequently tossed around in trade rumors, but ultimately nothing happened.
To begin this campaign, things have not started out well for the slugger. He has slashed .156/.169/.188 in 15 games, and has been one of the worst hitters in baseball.
This has become a major issue for Philadelphia at a key position. As a right-handed batter, Bohm is important in helping create balance in a lineup that has its best two sluggers batting from the left-side.
The lack of production from Bohm for over half of the season now is certainly the biggest problem for the Phillies. Philadelphia elected not to try and upgrade the position and hoped that he would turn it around. However, that doesn’t appear to be likely with how the season has started, and the franchise is going to have to think about other options.
