The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in Major League Baseball. Depth contributions throughout the lineup and on the pitching staff are a major factor in their success, but what might be even more important is the heater shortstop Bo Bichette is on.
Like most of the rest of the team, after a slow start, Bichette has found his groove, and he put it all on display as Toronto (63-43) won three of four at AL Central-leading Detroit from Thursday-Sunday.
Already with two RBI on Thursday and Friday, Bichette added two RBI in Saturday’s 6-1 win that included this unreal 13-pitch at-bat against Tarik Skubal.
Not many are taking arguably the best pitcher in baseball 13 pitches deep and forcing a walk.
In Toronto’s 10-4 loss Sunday, Bichette went 5-for-5 with two more RBI. Per StatMuse, it was his fourth five-hit game in the big leagues.
Bichette entered the four-game series with a .281 average and now heads to Baltimore with a .289 average. That’s superstar stuff from the 27-year-old two-time All-Star.
Through 103 games, Bichette has 13 HRs and 65 RBI, putting him on pace for a 20-HR, 99-RBI season. He has driven in 100 runs only once during his seven-year MLB career.
Bichette is doing himself wonders in a contract year, especially after a down, injury-plagued 2024 season. Toronto’s chance to extend him at a discounted rate is long gone, and it feels like a formality that Bichette will at least test the market this winter.
We’ve seen megadeals handed out to some of the league’s best shortstops in recent years, including the Mets’ Francisco Lindor, Texas’ Corey Seager, Philadelphia’s Trea Turner and Minnesota’s Carlos Correa. Combine that with the increasing contract values around baseball, and Bichette is set to receive a massive payday.
For now, Bichette’s focus is on helping the Blue Jays win and make a postseason run that includes Toronto’s first World Series title since 1993.
