Baseball

Toronto Blue Jays rookie Bo Bichette enjoying MLB debut for the ages

By Jon Ackerman Aug 12, 2019
Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The game of baseball is difficult. Don’t let Bo Bichette fool you.

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In one of the most impressive major league debuts in history, the Blue Jays’ rookie shortstop began his big league career with an 11-game hitting streak. He set a major league record with at least one double in nine consecutive games, and he added four home runs to the nine doubles to become the first player with 12 extra base hits through his first 11 games.

But for the first time, Bichette failed to get a hit in Friday’s 8-2 win over the New York Yankees, going 0 for 3 with a strikeout, though he did walk and score a run. On Saturday, he went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in a 5-4 victory, but again walked and scored a run.

The 21-year-old resumed his slugging ways Sunday, getting two singles in a 1-0 loss. That gives Bichette 22 hits in his first 60 MLB at-bats, good for a .367 batting average (OBP .424/SLG .717/OPS 1.141).

“I’d be lying to you if I said I thought that I’d be breaking records, but I do expect to play well and I think those records are a byproduct of putting in the work and going out there and being aggressive, and trying to treat the game like any other game,” Bichette told TSN.

It’s the type of debut prospects dream of, and Bichette has been dreaming of reaching the majors since his dad, Dante, was in the majors. Dante was a four-time All-Star with the Colorado Rockies.

“Bo’s been telling me since he was three years old that he could play in the big leagues,” Dante told TSN.

Bichette is one of three second-generation MLB players — along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio — viewed as core pieces to the Blue Jays’ future. All three made their major league debut this season and are under the age of 25.

Furthermore, Bichette is a “believer, who happens to play ball” and actively shares his faith on social media. His Twitter bio begins with the acronym IJNIP, which stands for “In Jesus’ Name I Play.” On Instagram, he’s recently quoted James 1:4, Philippians 4:8, Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 4:29.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0r9Gdmgpff/

Bichette and the Blue Jays open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers in Toronto on Monday night.

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