Bo Bichette’s fielding continues to be a thorn in the Blue Jays’ side

His fielding percentage is dangerously close to dropping below .970, which would be a small – but noticeable – amount below the league average of .975 for shortstops this year. The last time his percentage was that low was the 2022 season mentioned earlier.

Fielding stats are far from perfect, but looking into Bichette’s might give some insight beyond the eye test as to why his fielding has dived once more.

His Total Zone (-6) and DRS (-5) are below league average, but that’s not the most telling part. For that, Baseball Savant’s Statcast numbers are much more useful. Bichette’s range, or Outs Above Average, sits at -5, landing him in the fourth percentile of the league. That percentile ranking is even lower than his 2021 and 2022 seasons, and it may have to do with his sprint speed dropping considerably from his previous campaigns with the Jays.

This year, he sits in the 23rd percentile of speed across MLB at 26.1 feet per second. That’s down by over two feet per second since he entered the league in 2019. The most recent downtick could be due to the calf problems he dealt with last year.

Even when he does get to balls in the gap, his arm strength sometimes allows runners to beat out the throw. He sits in the 35th percentile with the hardest of his throws averaging 81 miles per hour.

It raises the question: would he be better at second base? Once Andrés Giménez returns from the IL, the team certainly could slide the former Gold Glover to shortstop. Unfortunately, there’s no telling if Bichette would be able to play second.

The last time he did was in 2019 in a single game with the AAA Buffalo Bisons, and before that, it was 2018 in nine games with the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He was fine there, recording no errors, but it’s far too small a sample size and too long ago to conclude from.

Talking to reporter Curt Rallo back in 2017, Bichette said, “I’m definitely more comfortable at shortstop, but second base is easier, if that makes sense.” Perhaps that discussion can be reopened in the coming weeks, although with Bichette slated for free agency this winter, he likely wants to play as much at shortstop instead of second.

That is speculation, of course, but it would make sense for the Jays to at least have that conversation one more time with the 27-year-old as he approaches free agency for the first time at the end of this season.

Some extra flexibility in the field would certainly make Bichette an even more enticing player for the Jays to extend or for another team to scoop up in the offseason.