Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60
• 7/17: Bichette confident in Major League ability
The son of four-time All-Star Dante Bichette, Bo has pure hitting ability that earned him an above-slot signing bonus of $1,100,000 as Toronto's second-round pick in 2016. He made an immediate impact after signing, hitting .427/.451/.732 in his pro debut, and then paced the Minors with a .362 average the following year in his first full season. Spending all of 2018 as a 20-year-old in Double-A, Bichette led the Eastern League in hits (154), doubles (43), extra-base hits (61), runs scored (95) and total bases (244) as the circuit's second-youngest regular. Along the way, he represented the U.S. in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game for a second straight year.
Bichette has a violent swing but controls it well, generating an abundance of hard, line-drive contact across the field through a combination of bat speed, bat-to-ball skills and a clean path through the zone. He does overswing sometimes, which leads to some off-balance whiffs, but the overall approach is mature, and he's comfortable shortening his swing with two strikes. Bichette is physically strong for his size, possessing plus raw power that should translate to above-average game power in the future. While not a burner, Bichette is an average runner with exceptional baserunning instincts, and he finished second in the Eastern League with 32 steals.
Bichette worked hard on improving his defense at shortstop last offseason and continued to make gains as the season unfolded, showing cleaner footwork and actions as well as a more consistent glove to his backhand. He has the requisite above-average arm strength for the position, though his arm stroke can at times be inconsistent, and some scouts peg him as a second baseman long term. Whether he ends up at shortstop or the keystone, Bichette is going to make an impact at the plate, with the potential to compete for batting titles in his prime. Statcast - Batting Season Pitches Batted Balls Barrels Barrel % Exit Velocity Launch Angle XBA XSLG WOBA XWOBA XWOBACON Hard Hit % K % BB % 2019 889 147 13 8.8 89.6 10.3 .273 .472 .384 .335 .413 43.5 23.6 6.6 ALL 889 147 13 8.8 89.6 10.3 .273 .472 .384 .335 .413 43.5 23.6 6.6 MLB 40553 6.3 87.5 11.2 .251 .412 .317 .318 .371 34.5 21.7 8.3 Transactions Team Date Transaction 07/29/2019 Toronto Blue Jays selected the contract of SS Bo Bichette from Buffalo Bisons. 06/12/2019 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Buffalo Bisons from Dunedin Blue Jays. 06/07/2019 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Buffalo Bisons. 04/24/2019 Buffalo Bisons placed SS Bo Bichette on the 7-day injured list. 04/01/2019 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Buffalo Bisons from New Hampshire Fisher Cats. 01/28/2019 Toronto Blue Jays invited non-roster SS Bo Bichette to spring training. 07/17/2018 New Hampshire Fisher Cats activated SS Bo Bichette from the temporarily inactive list. 07/14/2018 New Hampshire Fisher Cats placed SS Bo Bichette on the temporarily inactive list. 04/03/2018 SS Bo Bichette assigned to New Hampshire Fisher Cats from Dunedin Blue Jays. 03/08/2018 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. 07/10/2017 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Dunedin Blue Jays from Lansing Lugnuts. 07/07/2017 Lansing Lugnuts placed SS Bo Bichette on the temporarily inactive list. 04/03/2017 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Lansing Lugnuts from GCL Blue Jays. 03/25/2017 SS Bo Bichette assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. 08/29/2016 GCL Blue Jays activated SS Bo Bichette from the 7-day disabled list. 07/27/2016 GCL Blue Jays placed SS Bo Bichette on the 7-day disabled list. 06/24/2016 IF Bo Bichette assigned to GCL Blue Jays. 06/17/2016 Toronto Blue Jays signed IF Bo Bichette.
