Bo Bichette says the pressure he learned to live with in Toronto has already helped him absorb the noise that comes with playing in New York, even after a rough start with the Mets that has drawn boos from fans. A few months into his new tenure, he is still trying to turn that outlook into production at the plate.
The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Mets worth $42 million annually after reaching free agency for the first time in his career, a deal that came with the expectations attached to a hitter who had spent seven seasons with the Blue Jays. He entered the season with a.294 career batting average, 111 home runs and an.806 OPS, but his first stretch in New York has been slow: he opened 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts, then was booed during the opening homestand.
Bichette’s case rests on familiarity with scrutiny. He spent years alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Toronto, where the two were central figures through playoff disappointments and a steady stream of contract speculation. Guerrero later signed a 14-year, $500 million extension and became the undisputed face of the Blue Jays, but Bichette said that period taught him how hard a big market can turn when results go the wrong way.
“That’s what New York is,” Bichette said, according to the Toronto Star’s Mike Wilner. “When it’s not going well, it’s not great, and when it is going well, it’s great. I haven’t experienced that yet.” He added that there was a lot of attention on him and Guerrero in Toronto, and when things went badly, they took much of the heat, which made New York feel less unfamiliar to him.
The problem is that familiarity has not changed the early numbers. Through his first 57 games, Bichette was hitting.222 with five home runs, a line that explains why the reaction has already turned sharp. The Mets did not pay for patience, and the market did not wait for comfort.
That leaves Bichette in the exact spot his comments acknowledge: he knows what the stage can become when it starts to sour, but he has not yet shown the kind of start that quiets it. The next stretch will decide whether Toronto really hardened him for New York, or just taught him how loud the disappointment can get.
