It’s no surprise that Bo Bichette has been tearing it up for the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training. Bichette is tied for the league lead in hard-hit balls, with 17, and he has made hitting look effortless. Last season, Bichette recorded 175 hits, 20 home runs, 73 RBI, and a .306 batting average. So far this spring, he has put up impressive numbers with 17 hits, a home run, six RBIs, a stolen base, and a .405 batting average.
Bo Bichette Has Hit 17 Hard Hit Balls, Tied For the Most In Spring Training
Analyzing Bo Bichette As A Hitter
Bo Bichette has been DESTROYING the baseball so far this spring 💥
The #bluejays shortstop is tied for first with the most hard hit baseballs in Spring Training (17) pic.twitter.com/roNU6dIhkl
— Blue Jays Today (@TodayJays) March 18, 2024
This is a satisfying development for Bichette and the team, given that his hard-hit and barrel percentage were the only holes in his game last season (aside from the apparent chase percentage). It could be the difference between his being a very good hitter and a genuinely elite one. He has a very consistent approach; even in the spring, and it’s fun to watch. Also, his hands are dynamite; they’re still behind his ear when the ball’s about 50 feet to the plate. This could be the year where he can shrink his zone and take his offense to a whole other level. We should see a transformation from a low .800s OPS to the high .800s and beyond. Also, Bichette’s opposite-field doubles are back in his game, adding to his offensive versatility.
Bo Bichette sent this inside pitch 381 feet over the LF wall for a HR, which came off his bat at 101.2 mph. 👀 #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/aeVp5rgk85
— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) March 16, 2024
Bichette has had nine batted balls over 100 MPH this spring. He has absolutely torched the ball, showing an improved propensity for high pull velocity. He is in line for a monster season. Bichette is criminally underrated. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, he would’ve had a good chance to lead the league in hits for the third year in a row. He is, without question, the leader of the Blue Jays, and a player many of the Blue Jays prospects aspire to be like, and many are already following in his footsteps. Bichette never tries to force anything, and it seems he was born to play baseball.
Looking Ahead
The Toronto Blue Jays regular season commences on March 28th, and their home opener is on April 8th. The Blue Jays look like they may be poised to improve from last season, in no small part due to Bichette. While he has played spectacularly, many other Blue Jays players have shown that they are ready to have a grand season, such as Daulton Varsho, Alejandro Kirk, Kevin Kiermaier, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Varsho is another Blue Jay who is changing his approach at the plate, which has elevated his game, and now Bichette has taken on a similar goal.
Photo Credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
