Phillies All-Star ready to ‘ring the bell’ in MLB home run derby

It’s another “first” for Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. After learning Wednesday that he would represent the Phillies as the National League’s starting third baseman at this year’s MLB All-Star Game, news broke Friday that he would also be participating in the Home Run Derby.

This is the second name confirmed for the popular event. Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles was the first to announce his participation in the tournament.

Bohm has had a pretty eventful season as the point guard for the best team in MLB. Let’s be honest, he’s a big reason the Phillies are 57-30 halfway through the season. But a home run hitter? That’s not the first name that comes to mind.

The fifth-year player has posted impressive numbers so far, hitting .296/.347/.488 and driving in a NL-best 70 RBIs. He has 11 home runs in 85 games, which doesn’t mean he’s a “home run hitter.”

But that’s okay, Bohm hits hard. Line drives aren’t going to win you any derby trophies, so the MLB leader in doubles with 28 is going to have to tweak his approach for one night to help him put a few over the fence at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

His hardest hit ball this season is 110.8 mph. His barrel rate (the ideal combination of exit velocity and launch angle) has improved from 5.7% last year to 8.8% this year. His longest home run traveled 427 feet last week against the Marlins.

According to MLB’s communications department, Bohm will become the seventh different Phillies player to participate in the Home Run Derby and will count as the team’s eighth appearance overall. He will join Jim Thome (2004), Bobby Abreu (2005), Ryan Howard (2006, 2007, 2009), Chase Utley (2008), Rhys Hoskins (2018) and current teammate Kyle Schwarber (2022) among Phillies Home Run Derby competitors. Abreu in 2005 and Howard in 2006 are the only Phillies to have previously won the Derby.

The 2024 Home Run Derby will take place on July 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.