The Toronto Blue Jays eked out a pair of wins against the New York Yankees to salvage that series with a tie, but the team is still searching for its identity.
A season after reaching the World Series, then undergoing a significant roster overhaul, the Blue Jays’ batting order appears to be a far cry from the one that gave opposing pitchers fits last year.
“The Blue Jays look a little different right now than they did last October,” Deesha Thosar wrote for Fox Sports. “Back then, Toronto’s bats were clicking… Through Tuesday, Toronto’s offense is ranked 25th in the major leagues (91 wRC+). The Jays’ .306 on-base percentage is ranked 26th in MLB.”
As the Blue Jays struggle to recapture their World Series momentum from last season, there is plenty of blame to go around. For one thing, injuries have sidelined key hitters like Alejandro Kirk, George Springer and Anthony Santander. And, for another, the team is now trying to find its identity without two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Former All-Star Bo Bichette Cites ‘New Locker Room’ Amid Struggles
Bichette, who was the Major League Baseball hits leader shortly before ending his regular season with an injury last year, took a high-value, short-term deal to join the New York Mets this season. And while the Blue Jays haven’t looked as potent without him, he has been struggling with his new team as well.
The Mets have a losing record as Bichette slashes just .225/.276/.328 on the season so far — a harsh decline from his .311/.357/.483 slash line from last season. And when attempting to diagnose his issues at the plate, Bichette explained that leaving his former team and joining his new one has been a tougher adjustment than he expected.
“It’s been a lot of things I don’t think I anticipated — getting used to a new locker room, staff, a new division,” Bichette told USA Today’s Gabe Lacques. “There’s a lot of things for sure you have to adjust to.”
New York Mets’ Bo Bichette Seems More Comfort After Leaving Toronto Blue Jays
Though Bichette indicated that he wanted to take the pressure of playing in New York head on when he signed his Mets contract, the changes involved with leaving the Blue Jays have been significant. After being drafted by Toronto in the second round in 2016, he spent his entire seven-year major-league career playing shortstop there before leaving.
And, in addition to joining the National League, adjusting to a new clubhouse and becoming familiar with a whole new group of staff members, Bichette was also moved to third base for the first time in his career to start his tenure with the Mets.
But as he looks to turn things around with his new team, the long-time Blue Jays star explained that there could be a simple solution to his struggles, which would also apply to his former team’s own issues.
“I think playing better brings more comfort,” Bichette told Lacques.