The New York Mets know they are taking an expensive gamble on infielder Bo Bichette after signing him to be the team's third baseman.
New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette has had an up-and-down spring training so far as he adjusts to his new position.
Offensively, Bichette has four hits in 15 at-bats (.267 batting average) including a double but has struggled to get on base otherwise, posting a .250 on-base percentage. But his .583 OPS will improve drastically, so don’t put too much stock into his spring training stats Mets fans.
Defensively, Bichette went viral before games even started as he was struggling to field the easiest grounders at third base, a position he hasn’t played since high school. The struggles continued into the first few games and Bichette was having trouble with the throwing distance.
But, as he played more games, he has gotten more comfortable. He made an incredible play on a soft dribbler where he charged, made a barehanded pick and whipped it over to first base for the out. Making a play like that will certainly lift his spirits and confidence as he tries to play the ever-so-tough hot corner in the big leagues.
It may be a tough transition right now, but even with that, ESPN ranked Bichette as the 38th-best player on its top 100 Major League Baseball players for 2026 after a great offensive season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025.
“If all goes as planned for both sides and Bichette produces, it essentially amounts to a one-year agreement since there is an opt-out clause after this season,” Jorge Castillo wrote Wednesday in reference to Bichette’s three-year, $126 million contract.
“Bichette should benefit from hitting behind Soto. The question is his defense. In New York, he'll play third base -- a position he has not played since high school travel ball. It's a short-term gamble the Mets were willing to make.”
Bichette has had a tough time defensively in recent years, so much so that the Blue Jays didn’t want to play him at his natural position anymore and neither did the teams interested in him during free agency. Bichette has -19 defensive runs saved for his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a two-time All-Star.
Bichette has a career slash line of .294/.337/.469 for an OPS of .806 to go along with 21 WAR, 111 home runs and 437 RBI through 748 games. He has led the American League in hits twice (2021, 2022) and is coming off his best offensive season in terms of OPS+ (129) over a full season.
Castillo predicts that his transition to third base will be a tough time for the 28-year-old but will still have a great offensive season.
“Bichette's transition to third base is rocky, forcing the Mets to use him as a designated hitter more than they planned. But his offensive production does not waver. He eclipses .300 with 20 home runs and opts out after the season to hit free agency again.”
If the Mets can get this type of production from Bichette, it likely won’t be too big of a deal if his defense isn’t great at third. He will be a fan favorite in New York, but it may only last for one season.