Bo Bichette wants to be among the best

When he's on his game, Bo Bichette is one of the best hitters in the Majors, and that's the main reason the Mets front office signed him to a three-year, $126 million contract. Raised in the Blue Jays organization, everyone knew his time with the team was limited following the long-term signing of his friend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Toronto franchise had to make a choice, and it turned out to be almost unanimous in favor of Vlad Jr.

Just like in Toronto, the pressure to win is ever-present in New York, as owner Steve Cohen has been spending big since taking over the team in 2020. He had been a minority shareholder since 2012.

Cohen has deep pockets and is hoping for a return on investment in the short term. The additions of Juan Soto and, more recently, Bichette clearly indicate that simply making the postseason is no longer enough.

When the Bichette camp negotiated with the Mets during the offseason, the infielder let the numbers speak for themselves, but he also opened the door to the possibility of improving and becoming even better. This message certainly resonated with team executives, and they bought into his vision and aspirations. In doing so, Bichette has put some pressure on himself, as he'll need to significantly improve his weaknesses to avoid looking bad in the eyes of his new bosses.

In Toronto, he was loved for who he was, not for what he was supposed to become. Bichette rendered valuable service to the Jays, but the time had come to move on to a new challenge. He never quite managed to become a complete shortstop, even though his .294 batting average has made him a very dangerous hitter since the start of his career.

Will Bo be able to take the Mets to the next level? We'll find out once the season gets underway. For now, we hope he stays in top form—the best way to prove to both experts and fans that he belongs among the elite.

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