Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Phillies Predicted to Replace Alec Bohm With Prep Ball Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Third baseman Alec Bohm has recovered from a rough start to the 2025 campaign and become a more productive presence in the Philadelphia Phillies' offense.

At one point this year, Bohm's batting average had dipped to .150 and his OPS to .331, placing him last amongst all qualified hitters in MLB. He has since hit .324 in April and .303 in June to bring his overall numbers on the season to a .280 batting average, .710 OPS, seven home runs, and 36 RBIs.

Without that context, though, it appears that Bohm has been playing at barely above a replacement-player level over the course of the entire season. He is credited with just 0.4 wins above replacement in 2025, according to Baseball Reference.

The Phillies may not be quick to find an immediate replacement for Bohm at third base, but his early-season slump could kickstart discussions around who they may want to usher into Bohm's role multiple years in the future. And the franchise will have no better opportunity to do that than at the 2025 MLB Draft.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter believes the Phillies will make third base a priority in the 20-round event, as he predicts the club will use the No. 26 overall pick on Gavin Fien, who played high school baseball at Great Oaks High School in California.

"The Phillies have taken a high school player with their first pick in each of the past five drafts, including a prep bat three years running, so Fien fits that organizational strategy here at the back of the first round," Reuter wrote. "With a strong 6'3", 200-pound frame and average-or-better tools across the board, he is more physically mature than some of the other top high school bats. He was a star on the showcase circuit, and while he did not have the spring many were expecting, that won't negate what scouts saw last summer."

According to his MLB.com scouting report, Fien is considered by many scouts to be the best hitter on the prep ball circuit, most notably after he was named the Most Valuable Player at the MLB High School All-American Game.

But after a far-from-ideal performance during his final high school season, there is tremendous variability in where he appears in outlets' pre-draft rankings. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and The Athletic's Keith Law are the highest on Fien, placing him at No. 13 on their respective lists, while he is ranked No. 22 on MLB.com's list.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: