3 Blue Jays players whose great starts are for real and 2 who’ll return to their former selves

Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette has certainly taken things to another level for 2023. Ever since the beginning of the season, Bichette had been tormenting opposing teams’ pitching, hitting pitches inside and outside of the strike zone and scorching balls to all parts of the field. In doing so, he finished off the first month of the season with a .317 batting average, .863 OPS, 18 runs scored, six home runs, 18 RBI, six walks and 19 strikeouts. Along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman, the dynamic trio carried the offence for much of the month of April, leading to the Jays’ superior winning record at the time.

Little did people know, there was more in store for Bichette in the month of May, as while both Guerrero and Chapman cooled off to some degree, Bichette was able to maintain his productive consistency. He posted a .350 batting average and .928 OPS, to go along with 15 runs scored, five home runs, 20 RBI, seven walks, 18 strikeouts, and two stolen bases. Not only that, but he also currently leads the AL in both hits and batting average as a result. He is currently on pace to shatter his personal bests in multiple hitting categories, and given his consistency in hitting for the past few years with the Jays, there’s no doubt that he should be able to accomplish it.

In addition, Bichette has really stepped up his game both on the defensive side of things, as well as his leadership in the clubhouse. For the season, he has substantially reduced the number of errors committed compared to last year, along with showing some signs of strength in his throws from recent games (which had been his main weakness all along). Not only that, but he recently pulled Guerrero aside for a pep talk to help motivate his slumping teammate to get him back on track, showing his sincere leadership and care for the team. It’s things like these that make him an MVP for the team and will go a long way in helping the ballclub to long term success.