NL WILD CARD SERIES: MARLINS VS PHILLIES

October 4, 2023

Alec Bohm

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Feel any different knowing that you guys can clinch again going into a game like today? Is it harder to kind of put that out of your mind?

ALEC BOHM: I feel like the energy feels pretty similar to yesterday. We're just getting ready to go out and win a baseball game. That's kind of the attitude of the team. That's how we show up every day throughout the year, and it's kind of the same feeling today.

Q. How have you grown as a player over the last year? How do you view from last season to this season, postseason of last year to this season? How do you view the game? How has the game evolved for you?

ALEC BOHM: I think it's just an accumulation of experience. I think I'm lucky to play around a lot of really good players who have played a lot of really important baseball games and have been there and done that a little bit.

I think those guys have helped rub off on me a little bit and just kind of calm me down on the field, and I guess slow the game down a little bit and just make it more about just playing the game.

Q. Do you feel that this is a better baseball team this year than last year?

ALEC BOHM: I guess you could say that, and that's nothing against the guys that were here last year that aren't here anymore. It's just I think the team has grown together more over the course of the last year.

I think it's a lot of the same guys. Now this is our second year with most of this group. So I think guys trust each other a lot more. I think guys know their roles. I think guys just are becoming more and more of a family.

Q. The Phillies have a reputation, I guess, of not being the greatest defensive team, but then you look at a game like yesterday. Pache makes that great running catch. Stott makes a diving play. You almost get the guy at first on that play at third. Can you just talk about how -- the work that you guys do defensively to kind of improve and get better to try to be better this year than maybe you were a year ago?

ALEC BOHM: Yeah, Bobby and Paco take a lot of pride in that and the rest of the support staff with everything they do. We work. You see guys out early every day. There's not many days where we miss going and getting our work in.

Usually we work as a group, and I feel like that's just kind of brought us together as a group of infielders, group of outfielders, whatever it may be. I think there's a lot of pride in defense here.

Q. You talk about the difference between this team and last year, but do you think this team will be the same without that fan base, the fan base that you have?

ALEC BOHM: To be honest with you, I think we have one of the best home field advantages in baseball. I think, when you come here and you play here, I think how people say it's difficult to play here and things like that, I think going through that type of stuff and learning how to play here, that just makes this time of year that much better, and I think prepares you for that.

Q. Alec, this group adds a big time guy, it seems like every year, from J.T. to Zack, Nick to Kyle, and then Trea. What's it been like for you to watch all those guys kind of assimilate into the team, and do you feel like this group is getting better at kind of integrating guys as the years have gone on and you guys have grown up and matured together?

ALEC BOHM: I feel really lucky to be part of an organization and a team that does that and is here to win and going out and making moves and bringing in big players because that's not always the case.

I think, for me as a younger player and the rest of the younger players in the locker room, I think the more we bring in guys like that, I think it just makes us better players in the long run.

Q. You talked about working on defense. Are you still taking reps at both positions and have you been all year long? How have you worked that out in your head?

ALEC BOHM: Throughout the year, it's just pretty much wherever I'm playing that night, that's where I do my work that day. That's kind of how I've gone about it.

I'm ready for whatever Topper decides, if I'm playing first or playing third, wherever they need me, that's kind of how I've prepared each and every day.

Q. A year ago, I'd say the fans probably looked at the Wild Card and the playoffs with a little more sense of surprise. I think they have more of a sense of expectation this year. Do you guys view it any differently? Was it surprising to you a year ago? Was it expected for you a year ago?

ALEC BOHM: I think everybody in the clubhouse feels like this is where we should be. Competing for a championship, the team is too good not to. It's not that we feel entitled to just show up and we're going to win. We still have that edge of -- you know, not that we're lucky to be here, but nothing's guaranteed. So just kind of keeping that attitude of showing up and winning a baseball game each day.

Q. You have a unique ability, a tremendous ability to hit with runners in scoring position. Is that something that, I mean, since you were growing up as a player, you've always had that ability? Do you lock in at that point? Because you do a tremendous job with that.

ALEC BOHM: Well, thank you. Honestly, I think it's just a lot of it has to do with I'm more of a guy that's not up there to strike out. And also I'm in the lineup where there's a lot of guys on base.

Like, for instance, last night Rojas getting to second on a dirt ball, and any base hit scores him as fast as he is. When guys are in scoring position, it lets me not have to do too much and move the ball around, find a hole here and there, hit a single here, a double there, maybe sometimes I'll clip a homer.

I've been given a lot of opportunity to do what I do. Put the ball in play. If they throw it over the plate, I'm moving it somewhere. It's kind of worked out that way this year and throughout my career. So I think it's a product of a lot of the guys around me.