Bo

Bichette

Bichette started at third, but he moved to second in the eighth after Eric Wagaman hit for Brett Baty. He then moved back to third in the ninth after Ronny Mauricio hit for Wagaman (who didn’t get an official at-bat because A.J. Ewing was caught stealing to end the seventh while he was up). Bichette, who ended up going 0-for-4 in his first game back in his former home, played second for the Jays in the postseason last year, but he’d never before played in a regular-season game. This gives him extra eligibility in some leagues. He might wind up seeing more time there with Marcus Semien sidelined.

Bichette hit a hot-shot down the line in the fourth inning and came around to score later as the Mets’ only run in this contest. He’s been on fire over his last 30 games with a .319/.357/.521 slash line plus five home runs and 18 RBI. After all the hullabaloo from his cold stretch to start the season, he looks completely back to his old ways and is somehow still on pace for 20 home runs, 90 RBI, and nearly 30 doubles. Just as we all expected.

It’s Bichette’s sixth straight multihit game. He’s 14-for-26 during the stretch, raising his average from .227 to 254 and his OPS from .607 to .677. He was actually as low as .210 with a .531 OPS on this day one month ago.

Please, please let this be the sign that Bichette is finally turning the corner. After homering in his first at-bat on Thursday, he did the same here with a solo shot in the first inning against Spencer Strider. Then, he came up in the second with the bases loaded and blasted a grand slam. That made it three home runs in six at-bats after only having five all season before then. He chipped in a sac fly in his next plate appearance as well. While not as sexy as the home runs, it reminded us of the type of situational awareness Bichette has more so been known for in his career. He jumped up from a .607 OPS to a .635 OPS after this game alone and again, the hope is that he is finally getting himself back on track.

Is this it? Is Bichette finally waking up? This felt like a vintage game for him, dunking singles left and right while coming through on multiple occasions with runners in scoring position. Still, he doesn’t have an extra-base hit in more than two weeks – his second drought that long over the last five weeks, somehow – and it will take more to convince us this wretched start is behind him. Even after a four-hit day, his batting average sits at .226 with a lowly .590 OPS.

Bichette went 5-for-10 with three homers in a two-game span against the Nationals a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn’t the start of a big turnaround; he’s 8-for-45 with zero extra-base hits in 12 games since, dropping his OPS back down to .574. Bichette’s exit velocity numbers aren’t much different from last year, and he still figures to rebound at some point.

Baty receives his first day off since May 10. Bo Bichette takes over at third base with Vidal Bruján getting a rare opportunity at shortstop.

Bichette strolled to the dish with the bases loaded in the third inning and poked a first-pitch knuckle curve from Cade Cavalli into center for a two-run single, giving the Mets an early advantage that they would never relinquish. That would be his only hit in four trips on the day. For the season, the 28-year-old infielder is slashing an underwhelming .225/.276/.328 with five homers and 27 RBI through his first 221 plate appearances with the Mets.

Now that’s more like it. Bichette had just two homers across his first 46 games this season, but he’s now put up three homers over the past two days. That’s baseball for you. Bichette clearly hasn’t been the best version of himself this season, and learning a new position probably hasn’t helped, but he’s too talented and has too much of a track record to suggest that he wouldn’t snap out of it at the plate. It’s probably also helped to play shortstop with Francisco Lindor sidelined.

A.J. Ewing debuts in the eighth spot. The Mets are just trying to find any combination that works. Soto had led off six games in a row after hitting second previously. Bo Bichette, who was leading off when Soto was hitting second, remains in the second spot for now. Benge had a brief three-game run in the leadoff spot last month, but this is his first time hitting higher than fifth since Apr. 19.