Bo Bichette’s return to Toronto sparks reflection on his place in Blue Jays history

Monday's game against the New York Mets marked a huge moment for the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays; the return of their former hero, Bo Bichette.

It's been just over five months since Bichette and the Mets inked a three-year, $126 million deal, ending the former Blue Jays shortstop's seven-year tenure in Toronto and putting both teams on new paths heading into the 2026 season. It was also the first time Bichette had stepped onto the diamond at the Rogers Centre since hitting a three-run homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

Bichette's return to Toronto wearing a different jersey will cause some mixed emotions for Blue Jays fans, especially those who felt his departure was motivated by a bigger contract over loyalty to the team that drafted him. For Bichette himself, it will feel the same kind of weird that many star MLB players experience when facing their former teams.

Regardless of how one feels about Bichette's departure, his positive impact on the Blue Jays should not be forgotten

Even if Monday's reunion was bittersweet or melancholic for both sides, Bichette's impact on the Blue Jays cannot be understated. Bichette's return is also a perfect time to go back and look at the former Blue Jays' legacy on the ball club.

Bo Bichette started his MLB career as a second-round draft pick for the Blue Jays in 2016, becoming a second-generation MLB player after his father, Dante Bichette, finished a 14-year professional baseball career in 2001. At the time, Bo joined another second-generation player, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was signed to the team in 2015.

After a few years in the minor leagues, Bichette played his first game for Toronto in 2019 right alongside Guerrero Jr. This marked the beginning of a brighter future for a Toronto team that had endured the grueling pains of a full team rebuild, and both Guerrero Jr. and Bichette became key pieces in a blossoming team competing for playoff spots.

This crescendoed into an unforgettable 2025 World Series-appearing playoff run that had not been seen since Toronto's 1993 World Series win. Bichette was crucial not only in that series but also in the rest of the playoff run.

In his career with the Blue Jays, Bichette slashed .294/.337/.469 with 111 home runs in 748 games in Toronto. He was a two-time American League All-Star and finished 16th or better in MVP voting in four of his seven seasons with the Blue Jays.

His first season with the Mets started rocky, but improved since late April. Currently, Bichette has had an amazing month of June, hitting .344, five home runs, 17 RBIs, and 14 runs scored in just the past 22 games, seeming more like the old Bichette now in a Mets uniform.

This highly anticipated reunion will be the talk of Toronto for the next few days and many will look back on the good old days with Bichette in white and blue. Yet, for the Blue Jays, it is a perfect opportunity to gather some momentum. Currently sitting at 40-45 on the year (after Monday Jun. 29), the team needs a jolt. What better way than beating one of your former best players at home to show him he made the wrong choice going to New York.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow