Bo Bichette DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

TorontoBlue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Mariners. The home run was just his second of the year, while he collected two RBI and scored once in the contest. The 2x All-Star has a solid .287/.337/.395 slash line with a .324 wOBA and 110 wRC+ so far this season, and many peripheral stats -- such as barrel and hard-hit rate -- are back in line with career norms after a down, injury-plagued 2024 campaign. While it hasn't shown up in the power department yet with a .108 ISO, his 9.3 percent barrel rate and xSLG of .504 may foretell that a surge is coming, and Saturday's performance may be a starting point.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider is undecided on where shortstop Bo Bichette will hit in the lineup this year, but the skipper mentioned both the leadoff and cleanup spots as possibilities. "2,3 Vlad and Tony (Santander), and then from there could be Bo (Bichette).. could be Bo 1, could be Bo 4, depending on who we're facing," Schneider said. If Bichette doesn't hit cleanup, veteran outfielder George Springer is another possibility. The cleanup spot would be a bit of a surprise after the 27-year-old was one of the biggest busts of the 2024 season, but he has made 106 starts in the cleanup spot in his career. Hitting cleanup would certainly give Bichette more chances to drive in runs with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander hitting ahead of him, but it wouldn't necessarily guarantee a bounce-back. Bichette could be a nice value play if he slides in drafts because of his poor 2024 campaign.

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is batting at the top of the lineup in their first spring training contest on Saturday afternoon. Bichette was typically slotted in the three or four holes during the 2024 season but saw nine opportunities in the top spot. The 26-year-old had the worst season of his six-year MLB career in 2024, posting a .225/.227/.322 slash line with 16 doubles, four home runs, and just five stolen bases. During the campaign, Bichette battled a calf injury and a finger injury, which hindered his production. However, seeing him at the top of the order suggests he is a full-go and past these injuries. Prior to his disappointing season, Bichette held a stellar .299/.340/.487 line across his first five MLB campaigns. Given his previous production in the majors, if he performs well in spring training, he could become a popular bounce-back target in drafts.