Bo Bichette still cannot seem to figure it out at the plate. It is 46 games into the year, and so far, he still seems lost at the plate. The Mets brought in a guy like Bichette to address their issues with runners in scoring position. Well, through the 46 games he’s played, he is hitting an abysmal .224 with RISP. That is the lowest he’s ever hit in his eight-year career. It’s unclear why he is struggling, but the question is: can he turn it around?
What Is Going On With Bo Bichette?
Should The Mets Be Worried?
With the way Bichette has played for the first month and a half, there may be some worry from Mets fans, as it doesn’t seem like he may break out at any point. On the other hand, Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza isn’t worried at all. “It feels like every day there’s one at-bat where he hits a rocket, and somebody’s making a play. I’m not worried about him. The ball’s going to find holes. He’s too good of a hitter,” Mendoza stated when asked about Bichette’s struggles at the plate.
For the season, Bichette has hit just two homers and has 18 RBIs on the year. His slash line for the season is .210/.264/.271. Bichette’s average of .210 is 79 points below his career batting average of .289. He also has an average of just .167 against fastballs, compared to last season, when he hit .271 against them. Just not an ideal start to his Mets career, especially for someone possibly making 42 million dollars per year for the next three seasons. It has just not gone well for the 28-year-old, 2x all-star.
What Could The Mets’ Plans Be For Bichette?
Some scenarios could play out for the Mets, depending on how the season goes. One of those scenarios could be trading Bichette at the deadline. It may be hard to find some suitors for his contract. However, he may end up opting out after this season, so teams may take him for a postseason push for the 2nd half of the season. The Mets could try to find a suitor, and if they are out of it by the deadline, see whatever type of prospects or other young talent they can get for a guy like Bichette.
Another scenario would be to see if they can turn this thing around, make a run for the postseason, and keep him. As of right now, the Mets stand at 20-26 and are 10-5 in May. Things seem to be turning around for the team from Flushing, and maybe they want to keep Bichette, hoping he can turn it around in time for a postseason run.
It is not impossible, as we have seen the Mets make a run like this just two years ago, in 2024, and go all the way to the NLCS. This all depends on whether Bichette and his bat can turn things around, especially given all the injuries the team is dealing with right now.
Will The Mets Give Up On Bichette, or Is It Too Soon To Say?
Whether the Mets give up on Bichette or not remains to be seen. He has the backing of the clubhouse and, of course, his skipper, assuming he will turn it around soon enough. Bichette is too good a player to have a full season like this occur, so it seems as if the Mets will trust in him to get back to his old self. Whether it’s’ just unlucky ABs, the pressure of New York, or just a bad stretch, the team will have to trust that Bichette can get back to the line drive and spray type of hitter he was with Toronto.
Main Photo Credits: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
