Bo Bichette’s World Series performance should have the Yankees’ attention

After another postseason failure, the New York Yankees find themselves in the offseason desperate for a hitter who can provide a spark besides Aaron Judge. The Yankees’ playoff strategy comprised mainly of Judge coming to the plate and hoping the pitching staff didn’t get blown up. Having gone through another round of trial and error, it turns out wishful thinking is not a winning strategy.

Judge was the only player to collect more than six hits this past postseason, garnering 13 (Cody Bellinger was the only Yankee to record six hits). The offense spoiled several opportunities to score, resulting in the team’s early exit. If the Yankee offense is going to produce at a higher level next time around, management will need to build around Judge, something they did somewhat successfully in 2024. And if general manager Brian Cashman was watching the World Series, Toronto Blue Jays’ shortstop Bo Bichette, now a free agent, was probably hard for him to ignore.

Bo Bichette could be the solution to the Yankees’ sluggish offense 

Bichette may not be a perfect fit for the Yankees. His defense was among the worst at shortstop during the regular season, recording a career-worst -13 outs above average, down from his previous career-worst mark of -7 in 2022. However, his glove was exceptional in the World Series and his abysmal defense could be a result of injuries. Bichette dealt with a back injury in May and a knee injury in June. His knee injury would become a problem again in September, causing him to miss all but five games for the full month. This IL stint lasted from Sept. 7 until Game 1 of the World Series.

In the regular season, Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs. His .311 batting average tied Jacob Wilson for the second-highest mark in MLB. While a stat line of this magnitude says more than enough, Bichette added to his value in the World Series.

Returning from the IL and still dealing with his lingering knee injury, Bichette went 8-for-23 (.348 average) with one home run and four walks. Bichette notched a few long singles that likely should have gone for doubles, but his knee injury prevented him from taking extra bases or even scoring when presented with opportunities. His three-run home run in Game 7 was his lone extra-base hit.