Wichita State has two potential first-round picks in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft. While scouts project Greyson Jenista as the Shockers top prospect prior to the start of the season, third baseman Alec Bohm isn’t too far behind.
MLB.com ranks the 6-foot-5, 240-pound corner infielder as the 26th-best prospect in the 2018 draft class. Although scouts will flock to Wichita, Kan. to watch Bohm, he’s trying not to focus on his potential future in professional baseball.
“You just really don’t think about it,” he said. “You go about your day and do what you’ve done throughout the two years before.”
An Omaha, Neb. native, Bohm’s best trait is his hitting ability. Bohm makes consistent, hard contact and possesses above-average power from the right side of the plate.
In his first two seasons at Wichita State, Bohm has combined to hit .304 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs. A regular fixture in the Shockers’ lineup the first two years, he’s averaged just 28 strikeouts per season.
Despite his abilities at the plate, Bohm doesn’t have a true defensive position. Although he’s played third base at Wichita State, scouts believe Bohm will move across the diamond to first base in pro ball.
Bohm lacks arm strength and quickness at the hot corner, but believes it’s a position he can stick at long-term due to the effort he’s put in throughout the offseason to improve.
“Right now defensively, I’m the best I’ve ever been,” he said. “I feel really good there. I feel comfortable and have grown a lot. I’m ready to go from there.”
Bohm spent the 2017 summer playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he earned All-Star honors. He finished second in the Cape with a .351 batting average, while posting five home runs, 28 RBIs and 10 doubles in 39 games.
Bohm hopes to carry his summer success into the 2018 season, as he bats in the middle of a potent Wichita State lineup.
“This year, I’m just trying to put it all together and continue to grow,” Bohm said. “Have a good year all around and play good defense. I’ve been working on being consistent and bringing it every day.”
READ: Greyson Jenista thrives in first two college seasons
Find more 2018 MLB Draft profiles here.
