Prospect Snapshot: From Alex to Alec

August 28, 2018, 10:43:12 AM

From Alex to Alec
By Renton Brews

Thirteen years ago, a standout third baseman from Nebraska was drafted near the top of the draft and went on to become one of the top players in baseball, winning four Gold Glove awards, being voted to three All-Star teams and finishing among the league’s MVP finalists twice. This year, the Seattle Rainiers hope lightning can strike twice. Alec Bohm, Seattle’s first round selection this year, hails from Lincoln, Nebraska, the same hometown as that standout third baseman from thirteen years ago, Alex Gordon. Both garnered Nebraska state Player of the Year awards in storied high school careers before moving on to prominent baseball universities (Gordon at Nebraska, Bohm at Wichita State) and both finished distinguished college careers with All-America selections prior to being drafted near the top of their respective drafts.

Bohm enters his professional career as a polished, middle of the order bat with power, patience, and a professional approach to hitting. He did not enter college with that same skill set though. While he has always had good contact skills, his power and patience are traits he developed while at Wichita State. Bohm has never been a big swing and miss or strikeout hitter, but he was not always patient. Due to his lack of patience, he often swung at pitches he could not properly drive, sapping his power numbers. As a Sophomore he began to develop the patience to wait for a pitch to drive and subsequently began to tap into his considerable power. As his BB rate climbed from 4.7% as a Freshman to 10.9% as a Sophomore to 14.7% this past season, his power also rose. He posted a sub-.500 SLG% as a Freshman, improved to a .520 mark as a Sophomore and posted an impressive .625 SLG% as a Junior. His numbers now show that Bohm is much more than just a power bat. He has the ability to hit for average, get on base, and hit for power and do so while taking walks and limiting strikeouts.

Developing plate discipline and patience has allowed Bohm to fully tap his game power. One prominent scout noted, “He can really hit and he commands the strike zone unbelievably well. He's got a lot of leverage in that swing. He can drive the ball out to all parts of the field. He's got what I call wide-field power meaning that he can hit home runs from gap to gap.” If the object is to build an offense around hitters with power and plate discipline, then Bohm fits the bill perfectly.

What has further separated Bohm from his peers over the past two seasons has been his production during summer leagues. Prior to his Sophomore year he played in the Coastal Plains League and hit an impressive .330 with a .407/.552/.959 slash line. Last summer he played in the prestigious Cape Cod League and hit .351 with a .399/.513/.912 slash line. Making those numbers all the more impressive, and the reason he vaulted to the top of draft boards, is that both leagues are wooden bat leagues. Bohm should have no problems transitioning from the metal college bat to the wood bat in professional ball.

Defense is the only question for Bohm at this point. While his arm is strong enough for third base and he has worked diligently to improve his footwork, he is at best just average at the hot corner. His range and quickness are below average, although he has worked to position himself better to compensate. And considering the vast improvement he has shown as a hitter, there is some precedent for the belief that Bohm can continue to improve enough to remain at third base as a professional. Even if he does eventually end up across the diamond at first base, or in the outfield like Gordon before him, Bohm has plenty of offensive upside to carry him.

Seattle General Manager, Don Antonelli told the Weekly Bird Call his team was looking for, “a top rated college bat capable of adjusting quickly”. Much like Gordon before him, this reporter believes that mission was accomplished in Alec Bohm.