Phillies fans were on the edge of their seats Monday night as third baseman Alec Bohm advanced towards the semifinals of Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.
At the plate in Arlington, Texas, Bohm hit 21 homers in the first round, then moved on to face Dodger outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
Bohm seemed to get a boost from a sip of “wooder.”
All Philadelphians know it’s “wooder,” not water. So, it was no surprise when first baseman Bryce Harper showed support for his teammate by offering a glass jug labeled “wooder” during Bohm’s first round timeout.
Social media was buzzing with amusement at the Philadelphia-themed gimmick.
“Who wanna look at me the way Bohm looks at his wooder jug,” one fan wrote, sharing a screenshot of Bohm gazing at his drink.
“Alec Bohm: Powered By Wooder,” another joked.
“Bohm really brings his emotional support wooder jug with him everywhere. He’s so real for that,” said another user.
Some fans speculated about the power of the “wooder” after Bohm’s performance spiked following the break.
Both Bohm and Hernández hit 14 homers in the second round, necessitating a swing-off to reach the final.
With three swings each, Hernández homered on his last two attempts, while Bohm only managed to homer on his second swing, falling short on the third. Hernández advanced to the finals, where he defeated Bobby Witt Jr. to become the first Dodger to win the Home Run Derby title.
Want to know how Bohm performed Monday night?
Here are his stats from the MLB recap:
LONGEST HR: 431 feet
HARDEST HR: 103.0 mph
AVG. HR DISTANCE: 402 feet
AVG. HR EXIT VELO: 98.0 mph
According to MLB’s Brent Maquire and Theo DeRosa, Bohm’s performance was “one of the most surprising developments” as he entered the derby with only 11 homers, the fewest of the contestants.
Fans across the country watched their favorite players in the derby and reacted to Ingrid Andress’s rendition of the National Anthem, which drew viral criticism on social media.
Philadelphia sports fans, commentators, and brands showed their support for Bohm on social media Monday night, pointing out some lesser-known details, such as Bohm’s bat featuring his teammates’ numbers.
ESPN’s posts kept platforms lively with updates, especially after Bohm became the first of the night to advance to the semifinals.