Alec Bohm (PHI): 4-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI, SB.

Bohm Sweet Bohm

Alec Bohm’s career season continued last night, as the likely All-Star starter powered the Phillies to an 8-1 beat down of the Tigers with a 4-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI, SB showing. Bohm’s slash line is now sitting at .313/.366/.507 with nine home runs and 64 RBI, the fourth most in the bigs.

Bohm wasted no time getting things going, hammering a 2-0 slider from Casey Mize 385 feet to left center for a two-run blast in the first inning. He got the better of Mize again in the fifth with a single, before continuing his torrid pace against the Detroit bullpen. He added a single and stolen base against Tyler Holton in the fifth and wrapped things up by pulling a sinker in on his hands just inside the left-field line for an RBI double in the eighth.

Bohm’s 144 wRC+ and .376 wOBA are career bests for the 27-year-old third baseman. Even more impressively, he’s already compiled 2.7 fWAR, nearly double his previous career best. He’s gotten there by bumping up both his barrel and hard-hit rates this season which has done wonders for his batted-ball metrics. Each of his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG are all 86th percentile or higher. Even better, Bohm’s been doing that extra damage without taking a hit to his already excellent whiff and strikeout rates.

After being tantalizingly close to a World Series title the last two seasons, the Phillies seem to have only gotten better, and Bohm’s a big reason for that. His jump from solid middle-of-the-order bat to a threatening presence in the cleanup hole has been a huge contribution to a lineup that’s missed key contributors at varying points in the season’s first three months.

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

Bryce Harper (PHI): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI.

Harper couldn’t let Bohm have all the fun last night. He knocked in Philadelphia’s other five runs with a 108.4 mph home run and a 111.3 mph double. After a few seasons marred by injuries, it’s great to see Harper back in action fully healthy. The lefty slugger’s 19 home runs and .577 SLG have him on pace to put together his best season since 2021. His 168 wRC+ would be the third-highest of his career.

Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.

It’s been a roller coaster ride of a season for De La Cruz’s fantasy managers. He rocketed off to a .962 OPS in March/April, stumbled to a .585 OPS in May, and has somewhat leveled off with an .807 OPS in June. De La Cruz’s 14 home runs and 37 steals are phenomenal, but his 31% strikeout rate and seventh-percentile whiff rate lead to more peaks and valleys than you’d like.  At the end of the season, you’ll be glad you drafted him, so sit back, throw your hands up if you’re brave enough, and enjoy the Elly ride. It’s a fun one.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

The discourse around Vladdy is so negative these days that it’s almost surprising to check in and see his wRC+ at 131 and his hard-hit rate in the 99th percentile of hitters. He flashed that loud contact yesterday by launching the furthest hit ball of the day – a 471-foot dinger well over the Green Monster. I think his 48-homer 2021 campaign set some unrealistic expectations for the kind of career Guerrero Jr. would put together, leading to some frustration that he hasn’t been able to consistently match that power output. If Vladdy does get traded at the deadline, any fanbase should be happy to welcome his .352 wOBA – the third-best among all first basemen.

Jonathan India (CIN): 3-4, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB.

With TJ Friedl back on the IL, India may be the Reds’ new leadoff hitter. He looked good in that role rather quickly, collecting three hits with exit velocities above 104 mph in the Reds 11-5 win over the Pirates. India hasn’t been able to tap into his power stroke much this year, launching just five home runs–his .111 ISO and .369 SLG are career lows–but his .363 OBP helps make up for it. That kind of on-base skill at the top of the lineup creates some fantasy intrigue, so if you need middle infield help, he’s available in 45% of Yahoo! and 87% of ESPN leagues.

Rhys Hoskins (MIL): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.

Hoskins started his Brewer career with nine home runs in his first 156 plate appearances, but since his return from a strained hamstring on May 31st, he’s hit just .203/.268/.281 with one home run entering play yesterday. It looks like he may be getting back on track after this rough stretch, though, as he’s now riding a six-game hitting streak. His knock yesterday was a huge one: a 105.4 mph go-ahead grand slam.

José Ramírez (CLE): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, SB.

Ramírez was locked in on Cade Povich’s fastballs yesterday, but Povich just kept throwing them. Ramírez connected on two cutters, one for a 109.7 mph single and another for a 109.8 mph homer. He also made loud contact on a four-seamer for a 96 mph flyout. It’s another incredible under-the-radar season for Ramírez: 20 homers, 15 steals, and a 140 wRC+. Life’s full of lessons, and I’d wager that Povich won’t be tossing many fastballs in the zone next time he matches up with J-Ram.

Cal Raleigh (SEA): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB.

Raleigh’s doing just about everything you drafted him to do this spring – hitting dingers (13) and driving in a whole lot of runs (46). Both of those are top-five marks among catchers. As we’ve come to expect with Raleigh, his batting average leaves some to be desired. His hit last night pulled him above the Mendoza Line, but with barrel and hard-hit rates in the 90th+ percentile, it seems like Raleigh’s average should tick up a bit moving forward.

Jarren Duran (BOS): 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI.

If you haven’t been paying attention, Duran’s been one of the best players in baseball this season, especially recently. His June slash line stood at .384/.443/.640 before his three-hit performance yesterday. His final base knock was the most important of the game: a 113.1 mph walk-off single bringing the Red Sox all the way back from a 6-2 deficit. Duran’s 3.4 fWAR is the eighth most for a position player. He’s in the 90th+ percentile for Baseball Savant’s Batting, Baserunning, and Fielding Run Values.

Alec Burleson (STL): 2-3, 2B, R, RBI.

If you look up the term “locked in” in whatever dictionary would be silly enough to have an entry for it, you’d see a picture of Burleson. The Cardinals’ two-hole hitter has multiple hits in each of his past four games and has gone deep three times in the past six contests. Burleson’s slashing .289/.323/.475 this year, easily a new best for the 25-year-old outfielder. He’s on the waiver wire in 37% of Yahoo! and 85% of ESPN leagues if you’re buying into his improvements.

Photo courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Created by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X) | Adapted on Mondays by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)