New York Mets‘ Bo Bichette received his first reps at third base in the 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Feb. 21. One of the storylines throughout spring training will be how the former Toronto Blue Jays transitions to his new position.
Bichette had mostly played shortstop with the Blue Jays, but with Francisco Lindor at that position, he needed to slide over to third once he signed with New York.
In his spring training debut, Bichette had two at-bats, but the focus in this game against the Marlins was his play at third base. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was blunt with his analysis of his new player’s defensive performance.
“I thought he was fine,” Mendoza told reporters postgame (h/t SNY). “Positioning, he was engaged, especially with the dog out. When you’re talking about having guys that are potential bunters or guys that are going to get the head out, you know, swing‑wise, starting up, moving as the pitcher’s going through the windup, moving, death‑wise.
“A couple of, I think it was a ground ball, made it look easy. The pop‑up, I thought, overall was an average decent day, you know, with not so much action there, their base.”
Mets’ Carlos Mendoza Issues Praise for Bo Bichette’s Arm
Nonetheless, Mendoza did focus on one aspect of Bichette’s defensive game that he liked during his short appearance at third base against the Marlins.
“I’ve been impressed, and I think that was one of the first things that I told him when I watched him throw across the diamond,” Mendoza added (h/t SNY). “He’s like, ‘Yeah, I mean, I got a good arm. I didn’t use it as much as a shortstop’ because he’s super aggressive playing the position. He was more like a one‑handed, attacking baseballs in throwing on the run. But he’s got a plus‑plus arm. So far, it’s been good.”
It will be interesting to see how comfortable Bichette looks at third base from the start of spring training to Opening Day. Nonetheless, it doesn’t appear to be a concern for Mendoza.
Bo Bichette Ready for the Challenge of Playing in New York
On Jan. 21, the Mets officially presented their new free-agent signing, who will likely be playing at third base. Bichette comes over from the Blue Jays, where he played in a major Canadian market. Still, New York is on another level.
As a result, Bichette is embracing what not many players get to experience: Playing in New York, with all the good and bad that comes with it, depending on how a player performs.
“This is pretty cool,” Bichette told reporters on Jan. 21 (h/t SNY). “I mean, luckily, I felt a little prepared for it being in the World Series. So I was like, well, ‘I don’t know if it can be bigger than that.’ But now this is really cool. And I mean, playing in New York is a challenge. I’m not unaware of that. I’m not shying away from it. And I’m excited to take it on.”
During his time with the Blue Jays, Bichette hit .294 with 904 hits, 111 homers, 437 RBIs, and 438 runs scored in 748 games, per StatMuse.
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