Was the 2026 Mets Two-Time All-Star Better off with the Blue Jays?
This past offseason, two-time all-star shortstop Bo Bichette decided to sign a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets. Since he was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2016, this year would have completed a decade with the franchise for the 28-year-old. On the surface, following the money seems to be backfiring as New York is last in the NL East at 35-50, but how are Bichette’s stats individually? It’s hard to compare a nine-year career with one team to a couple of months with another, but stats could be telling of what’s to come.
This year, the prodigal talent has a .231 batting average and a .680 OPS, which are both below his career numbers. However, he does lead the Mets with 46 RBIs and 86 hits. The 28-year-old is also tied for second most home runs with 10. Unlike the Jays, who often used the righty as a shortstop, New York had him at third the first month of the season, then shortstop the next month, but lately, he’s been switching between the two with a couple of games as 2B and DH as well. Compared to his teammates, Bichette seems to be doing well, but how do his stats compare to this time last year?
At the end of June 2025, the former Blue Jay had a .272 AVG and a .738 OPS. He also had 49 RBIs, 97 hits, and 11 home runs. By the end of the 2025 regular season, Bichette had a .311 AVG, an .840 OPS, 94 RBIs, 181 hits, and 18 home runs. At the halfway point of his first season with the Mets, the two-time all-star’s stats show that he performed better with his former team. After spending almost a decade with one club, it takes time to adjust to new teammates, coaches, and a new city, but the infielder did that to himself. Being surrounded by outstanding players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, and Ernie Clement certainly brought out the best in him. Can he ever return to his former glory without that support?
Stats may show a different story at the end of the season, or even another ten years from now, but could this lead the right-handed hitting star back to Toronto in three years? When he was interviewed at the start of the current Blue Jays vs. Mets series, the 28-year-old was teary-eyed when reminiscing on the good times with his former teammates and said he hopes the fans know he gave it everything he had. We may never know exactly why the infielder left, but it’s possible he made a rash decision after an emotional and hard-fought post-season run. It’s clear that this team meant everything to Bichette, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise for Rogers Centre to become his home field again at some point during what will surely be a long and successful MLB career.
