Blue Jays 2019 Top Prospects: #2 – Bo Bichette

The Jays Journal staff returns with our yearly Blue Jays Top 30 prospect rankings, the #2 spot on the list goes to a player on the cusp on making a huge impact at the major level.

Name: Bo Bichette
Position: SS       Age: 20
Height: 6’0       Weight: 200 lb
Throws: Right   Bats: Right
Acquired: Selected in the 2016 Draft, round 2, 66th overall

It’s not often that a team has two top-10 prospects in the game simultaneously.

Yet, in Vladdy Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Toronto Blue Jays have two of the game’s most elite prospects. A power-hitting third baseman with an advanced hit tool and a shortstop with electric bat speed and superstar upside.

Nevertheless, it seems like Bichette is somewhat playing in Guerrero’s shadow.

Fact is, there is a pretty sizeable gap between what Guerrero and what most other prospects can presently do at the plate. That should not take away from the talent the Blue Jays have in Bichette.

A son of a former big leaguer, the 20-year old Bichette has a plethora of tools, fantastic hair, and the ceiling that not many prospects have.

After an up-and-down season in Double-A New Hampshire in 2018, Bichette finished his season slashing .339/.402/.876 in the month of August. Now, Bichette has the opportunity to work his way onto a big league roster by the time September 2019 rolls around. His plethora of tools that play on the next level will only continue to intrigue fans and player evaluators as he continues to climb up the minor league ladder.

Hitting

It’s very easy to recognize the carrying tool when watching Bo Bichette in-game, or even watching him take a round of batting practice.

The bat plays on every level and it comes down to his electric bat speed – it’s something not many hitters possess – and it’s a tool that will ensure that Bichette will not get overpowered on even the MLB level.

A swing slightly reminiscent of Javy Baez, Bichette has similar loud tools at the plate compared to the Chicago Cubs star middle-infielder. He hits the ball with authority and the hands are explosive, with a swing that is almost violent through the zone.

His line-drive rate and ability to hit to all fields is what has allowed Bichette to rise up the prospect rankings so quickly.

He boasted a 31.4% line drive rate through 70 games in Single-A last season but has to this point failed to replicate the same numbers in Double-A New Hampshire. That being said, his pull vs. opposite% numbers remain similar, mainly due to his ability to sit back on the baseball and use his inside-out swing to line the ball the other way.

With a future hit tool graded out as 65 on MLB Pipeline and 60 on Fangraphs, evaluators definitely still see the upside in the bat and it will require some adjustments at the plate. He is aggressive early in counts, often a bit too aggressive, and like many young hitters struggles with breaking pitches away.

That being said, he is able to make adjustments mid-at-bat as noticeable by quieting down his leg kick at two strikes and shortening his swing. The polish at the plate is not quite there yet and it will be fair to expect a K% of 20-25% upon his eventual debut, but as he gets stronger, continues to fill out and make the necessary adjustments at the plate, the line drive percentage should go back up and Bichette should turn into an excellent big league hitter.

Power

Bichette’s power projections are interesting.

Power is obviously the tool that comes on last for most prospects and that seems to be the case with Bichette. The raw power is present and it comes from his quick hands and the bat speed that we have touched on time and time again.

https://twitter.com/lancebroz/status/1082394168012484609

The ball flies off the bat and the projectable pop in that right-handed bat is real.

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It’s interesting because while Cavan Biggio launched 26 bombs last year, Biggio appears to mainly operate with pull-side power. Bichette hit 11 home runs last season and the power in that bat is far more legit and it is power to all fields.

And by legit, I mean I do think that we can expect Bichette to slug 25-30 home runs a season at his peak.

Fielding

There may have been questions early on, but Bichette seems to have put all the talk to rest.

He is the shortstop of the future.

He has exceptional instincts on the baseball field, has a great feel for his position, quick and soft hands, and enough arm strength to play up the middle.

The range is still fringe at best at this point, but Bichette’s instincts and fluid actions in the field can allow him to remain at the short corner long term.

Future Value

It is no question that Bichette has all the tools to succeed on the next level.

Everything will continue to go back to his bat and its translatability. After an off-year last season, Bichette still has some of the loudest tools in the minor leagues and the natural instincts and work ethic, as reinforced on multiple occasions by Jays Director of Player Development Gil Kim, to go along with it. Baseball is a game of adjustments and adjustments at the plate are something Bichette will simply need to make.

If we can take anything away from his few at-bats and couple of hits early on in Spring Training is that Bichette is taking steps in the right direction and he will remain one of the game’s most exciting young prospects moving forward.

And let’s not forget, Bo is still only 20 years old and there remains a lot of untapped potential in the Blue Jays #2 prospect.