The Toronto Blue Jays are loaded with young talent.
In 2021, that talent began to shine through, as the team came incredibly close to making the postseason.
Unfortunately, Toronto fell short, as the club missed out on a Wild Card spot by a single game.
But if this season taught us anything about the Blue Jays, it’s that the future is bright.
Bo Bichette is one player (of many) who is on an outstanding trajectory for Toronto.
At 23 years old, he already looks like a future MVP.
Fans should buy stock now.
Bichette’s Breakout Campaign
The 2021 season was Bichette’s third at the MLB level, but it was his first year appearing in more than 46 games (which was his previous high).
The shortstop had a phenomenal year.
For one, he led the league in hits (191), which is no small feat for a player his age.
On top of that, he slashed .298/.343/.484 with an OPS+ of 123.
He homered 29 times, doubled 30 times, and tripled once, and he drove in 102 runs in the process.
The former second-round pick earned his first All-Star selection as a result of his stellar production.
If you’re already impressed, wait until you see his bWAR for the year: 6.0.
A good chunk of that came from his outstanding infield defense, as he racked a Defensive Runs Saved of 3 and defensive bWAR of 1.1.
Dwight Schrute Bo Bichette
🤝
SPIN MOVE pic.twitter.com/0wpXypfjOP— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 19, 2021
The results of the 2021 MVP race will be revealed soon, and it’s a safe bet that Bichette’s name will pop up on a lot of ballots.
He won’t win the award, but a top-15 finish doesn’t seem impossible.
It feels like just a matter of time until this kid wins the thing for real, though.
Maybe he’s a couple of years away, but it seems like a sure thing that he’s going to get there.
He’s got so many good seasons ahead of him.
Smooth Sailing For Bichette
No matter the sport, it takes most athletes a little while to get settled in at the professional level.
It’s a big transition, and most youngsters come with some growing pains.
Not Bichette.
This guy broke into the big leagues in 2019, and he immediately looked like a star, batting .311 with a .930 OPS over 46 games.
In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he was limited to just 29 games, but he remained impressive.
He batted .301 with an OPS of .840.
Then, of course, came his outstanding 2021 campaign.
Overall, he’s slashing .301/.345/.506 over 234 games at the MLB level.
He’s averaging 31 home runs, 39 doubles, and one triple per 162 games.
BO! KNOWS! BUFFALO!
Our first runs in Buffalo come from a Bichette BOMB 💣 pic.twitter.com/EJodC4gV0C
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 12, 2020
The sample size is no longer small.
He has proven that he’s the real deal, and that’s not going to change.
It’ll be fascinating to see where he goes from here.
Wrap-Up
Bichette is just getting started.
The Blue Jays have him under club control until 2026, so they’re going to have several chances to win a title with this guy before having to worry about the possibility of losing him.
But when the time comes, Toronto is going to have to do everything in its power to make sure that Bichette doesn’t end up wearing another uniform.
Really, it’s not too soon for the organization to start thinking about locking him down.
Sooner is better.
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