Alec Bohm's rough start in 2026 was not just about timing or a short stretch of bad luck. The Philadelphia Phillies third baseman said his struggles at the plate were tied in part to how difficult pitching has become across MLB.
By the MLB All-Star Break, Bohm was hitting.215 with a.632 OPS, a line that reflected how hard it had been for him to get consistently going during the season. He said the modern game can put hitters in constant pressure, especially when they face bullpens full of power arms that can attack from both sides and move the ball around.
In Bohm's view, some games now feature multiple pitchers throwing 100 mph, with more movement and more matchup-driven plans than ever before. That means a hitter may have to wait for the right pitch in the middle of the plate, but there are also nights when the pitchers simply dominate from start to finish.
A tougher offensive environment
Bohm's explanation fits a wider leaguewide trend. MLB has seen pitching and defense take on a bigger role in suppressing offense, helped by training, technology and data analysis that have changed how teams prepare and how they position themselves. The modern era has pushed run prevention strategies forward in ways that were both intended and unintended.
The numbers back up how far the game has shifted. In 2016, the average rate of strikeouts per nine innings climbed above eight for the first time in recorded MLB history. Then in 2023, rule changes were introduced to prevent the shift, and those changes produced only a slight offensive boost for one season.
That is the backdrop for Bohm's comments. His slump in April and his.215 average by the MLB All-Star Break were part of the same larger conversation about how hard it has become for even established hitters to produce consistently.
What comes next
After the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, Jayson Stark discussed the same issue on Unfiltered, saying it has become extremely difficult for even the best hitters on Earth to handle the velocity, the information and the deep defensive positioning they are seeing. His point matched Bohm's: the challenge is not just individual performance, but a league environment that keeps getting tougher for offense.
For Bohm, the next step is simple enough to say and difficult to do. He has to find enough quality pitches to do damage when they come, while also trying to navigate a pitching landscape that keeps giving hitters fewer mistakes.
