Latest news with #Bichette
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How Toronto Blue Jays went from ‘punched in the face' to AL East penthouse
All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette has returned to form for Blue Jays, the AL East leaders after a miserable 2024 season. BALTIMORE — A year ago, the Toronto Blue Jays could only dream of days like these. Worse yet, every one of them could look around their clubhouse, assess the talent and wonder why they were stuck in this last-place hellscape, where franchise cornerstones were mentioned as trade candidates and not extendable pieces and the entire course of the franchise was subject to change. 'Everyone, as a whole, got punched in the face last year,' Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman tells USA TODAY Sports. 'Everybody on the team, really, besides Vladdy, to be honest.' And Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s stellar 2024 did not augur better times ahead but rather more uncertainty. Slated to hit free agency after 2025, Vladdy needed both dollars and details to be convinced to stay, and a spring training extension impasse seemed to extend the buzzard's luck into the new year. Yet something was already going on in the Blue Jays organization, and within the roster. A 74-88 campaign has a way of inspiring attention to detail, rearranging key pieces, of, as Gausman said, buttoning things up a bit. And what has emerged is both beyond that group's wildest imaginations and also what they envisioned could someday be: The best record in the American League heading into the trade deadline, money and prospects to burn, a full-speed-ahead setting well earned. 'The best way I can describe it is just, a great team,' says two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette of the 63-46 Blue Jays, who could still significantly improve in the final two days before the July 31 deadline. 'A great group, a great team, however you want to look at it. 'But this is just the best group and team I've been a part of, for sure.' Bichette is a massive reason for the 180. His 2024 was perhaps the most miserable, limited to 81 games by injury, a .225 average and four home runs and -0.3 WAR dotting his ledger after he was worth 4.8 just a year before. So just how did Bichette search his soul and vow to come back a new man? 'My main goal was just to, like, chill,' he says. OK, there was maybe a little more to it than that. Bo Bichett': 'I owe it to my teammates' Bichette's year-ago misery was largely the result of calf strains that robbed him both of games and any hope for productivity from a compromised lower half. Yet it was a displaced fracture of his middle finger that ended his season and sent him into the off-season with explicit instructions. Due to the fear of infection, Bichette was told he could not break a sweat. He did virtually nothing for six weeks, and didn't initiate anything resembling baseball activity until around mid-January. 'I had a long year last year. And I needed to refresh and honestly grateful, in a way, that I had the finger thing,' he says. 'It made me sit down and relax. I just needed to reset. 'Mentally, I needed every bit of it, I think.' He's certainly showing there's plenty in the tank. A guy who barely played half the games last year is leading the major leagues with 131 hits, has more at-bats than anyone in the AL and has been on a three-week heater. Bichette extended an on-base streak to 21 games July 29 before it was snapped later in the second game of a doubleheader at Baltimore. But what a run: Bichette batted .391 with a 1.040 OPS, 12 doubles, two homers and a run of hits in nine consecutive at-bats. 'We've seen him do this before. You know he can do this,' says Blue Jays manager John Schneider. 'He's a really talented hitter. Man, when he gets locked in, he can beat you in a lot of ways. That's really good for us. "Bo has the ability to get hits. You see guys go on power streaks or on base streaks. To see nine consecutive hits is ridiculous.' Bichette, Guerrero and George Springer have batted better than .400 since the All-Star break, dovetailing nicely with the Blue Jays' rise. They've won 21 of their last 30 and boast the majors' best win percentage since May 8, their 47-26 mark building a four-game lead in the AL East. Bichette has long been joined at the hip with Guerrero, as sons of big leaguers and budding superstars with matching service time. As such, their ability to walk into free agency has been a hot topic since they were barely major leaguers. Guerrero put the pressure on the Blue Jays, walking away from extension talks before the club came back with a 14-year, $500 million offer that made Vladdy a Jay for life. 'I think Toronto has been begging for their own, in any sport,' says Bichette. 'For that kind of player to stay and want to be part of the city, I know that was something he wanted as well. It's great for both sides.' As for Bichette, his injury-plagued fifth season scotched any thoughts of an extension, for either side. Now, Bichette is nicely reestablishing his value. Guerrero is set in stone at first base. The franchise has money to burn. And Bichette will have interesting options come free agency. When that time comes. 'That's the cliché answer,' he acknowledges, 'but with how the team's playing and the vibe in the clubhouse and everything, I owe it to my teammates to be that way.' And he could have some new ones to welcome very soon. 'Nice to be on the flip side' for Blue Jays When Seranthony Dominguez made the not-so-long walk down the Camden Yards hallway from the home clubhouse to the Blue Jays' visiting digs, it was a fun baseball oddity – guy traded between games of a doubleheader pitting the two teams – but was drenched in a greater symbolism for Toronto. They were in Baltimore this time last year, but instead of eagerly awaiting arrivals, they were saying goodbye. Top starter Yusei Kikuchi, to Houston. Veteran bulwark Justin Turner, to Seattle. Upbeat center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, off to win a ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dominguez's arrival created a little awkwardness, but that was more than outweighed by the undeniable siren that the Blue Jays will make more hay the next two days. 'It's great. Ross and the guys have shown they're going to be aggressive when we're in contention, which is awesome,' says Schneider. 'We love that support. We've been playing really well. 'The tricky part is, people don't understand the roller coaster that goes into these couple days. There's some moving parts and you still have to go out and focus on the game.' To that point, they've dropped four consecutive games, yet retain a 95% chance to make the playoffs, and 61% to win the division, per FanGraphs. Once they get there, a team that makes consistent contact – their 16.4% K rate since May is the best in the majors – catches the ball and has a solid front end of a rotation in Gausman, Jose Berrios and the surprising Eric Lauer could make hay. To say nothing of more reinforcements. It's all a little stunning, given the time and place and the grim reality that seems not so long ago, yet for Toronto, slips further in the past with every week. 'It's nice,' says Schneider, 'to be on the flip side of last year for sure.'
National Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Blue Jays suffer third straight lopsided loss in first game of doubleheader with Orioles
A three-peat was not what the Blue Jays imagined when they took the opening three games of a four-game series in Detroit. Article content In the series finale, the Jays got their doors blown off and the bad vibes carried into Baltimore. Article content Article content Simply put, the Jays are not playing well in virtually every aspect and this dramatic slip in performance was underscored in a thoroughly embarrassing 16-4 loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, when the visitors had to resort to having a positional player pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Article content 35.3 mph is the 2nd-slowest whiff-inducing pitch in the Statcast era. Ali Sánchez to Alex Jackson: — Avi Miller (@AviMiIIer) July 29, 2025 Article content The loss was the Jays' third in a row, the first time they've dropped three straight since they were handed a three-game sweep by the host Philadelphia Phillies from June 13-15. Article content The Phils crushed the Jays, who have been obliterated in their past three games with double-digit runs yielded in each loss. Article content Article content The following are three takeaways from the first game of a doubleheader in steamy Baltimore, where B.C. native Tyler O'Neill stroked a three-run homer as part of a six-run sixth inning as the Canadian went deep for the fourth game in a row. Article content In his first at-bat Tuesday against veteran Charlie Morton, Bo Bichette flew out to Cedric Mullins in centre to end the first inning. Article content And, with it, Bichette snapped his club record of registering hits in nine consecutive at-bats, which began with a 5-for-5 day in Detroit on Sunday. Article content In Baltimore, the pending free agent broke the record jointly held by Rance Mulliniks, Paul Molitor, Tony Fernandez and Adam Lind. Article content Article content Bichette led off the fourth inning by drawing a walk and would score on Addison Barger's 15th home run of the season. Article content Article content He was given a hit on a two-out pop up the O's lost in the sun in shallow right field. Article content What stood out was the nonchalance Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had just singled, each embraced when each should have been fully engaged knowing nothing is ever taken for granted. Article content It did illustrate how the Jays' game has slipped of late, a team that has excelled because all the little details have gotten their full attention. Article content In terms of scoring a game, no error was warranted when Easton Lucas threw his first pitch since his previous start on May 31, when he went 4.2 scoreless innings against the visiting Athletics. Article content The physical mistake Lucas committed involved location on the pitch, which leadoff hitter Jordan Westburg crushed off the wall in right-centre that nearly resulted in a home run. It did go for a double as the O's would quickly jump out in front.
Edmonton Journal
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Blue Jays suffer third straight lopsided loss in first game of doubleheader with Orioles
Article content A three-peat was not what the Blue Jays imagined when they took the opening three games of a four-game series in Detroit. Article content In the series finale, the Jays got their doors blown off and the bad vibes carried into Baltimore. Article content Simply put, the Jays are not playing well in virtually every aspect and this dramatic slip in performance was underscored in a thoroughly embarrassing 16-4 loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, when the visitors had to resort to having a positional player pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Article content Article content 35.3 mph is the 2nd-slowest whiff-inducing pitch in the Statcast era. Ali Sánchez to Alex Jackson: — Avi Miller (@AviMiIIer) July 29, 2025 Article content The loss was the Jays' third in a row, the first time they've dropped three straight since they were handed a three-game sweep by the host Philadelphia Phillies from June 13-15. Article content The Phils crushed the Jays, who have been obliterated in their past three games with double-digit runs yielded in each loss. Article content Article content The following are three takeaways from the first game of a doubleheader in steamy Baltimore, where B.C. native Tyler O'Neill stroked a three-run homer as part of a six-run sixth inning as the Canadian went deep for the fourth game in a row. Article content In his first at-bat Tuesday against veteran Charlie Morton, Bo Bichette flew out to Cedric Mullins in centre to end the first inning. Article content And, with it, Bichette snapped his club record of registering hits in nine consecutive at-bats, which began with a 5-for-5 day in Detroit on Sunday. Article content In Baltimore, the pending free agent broke the record jointly held by Rance Mulliniks, Paul Molitor, Tony Fernandez and Adam Lind. Article content Article content Bichette led off the fourth inning by drawing a walk and would score on Addison Barger's 15th home run of the season. Article content Article content He was given a hit on a two-out pop up the O's lost in the sun in shallow right field. Article content What stood out was the nonchalance Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had just singled, each embraced when each should have been fully engaged knowing nothing is ever taken for granted. Article content It did illustrate how the Jays' game has slipped of late, a team that has excelled because all the little details have gotten their full attention. Article content In terms of scoring a game, no error was warranted when Easton Lucas threw his first pitch since his previous start on May 31, when he went 4.2 scoreless innings against the visiting Athletics. Article content The physical mistake Lucas committed involved location on the pitch, which leadoff hitter Jordan Westburg crushed off the wall in right-centre that nearly resulted in a home run. It did go for a double as the O's would quickly jump out in front.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
A year after they were (to a degree) deadline sellers, the Blue Jays are soaring
Even when they traded away a handful of established players at last year's deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays clearly believed a rebound was possible. A year later, they have a comfortable lead atop the AL East. It's hard to say that last year's deadline jump-started Toronto's turnaround, but the important thing is the Blue Jays didn't give up on their core despite being on their way to a last-place finish in 2024. They dealt players like Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Turner — but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette remained with Toronto. Keeping those two was something of a risk given that both could become free agents after this season. Bichette still can, but the Blue Jays were able to sign Guerrero to a 14-year, $500-million contract in April. Guerrero, Bichette and George Springer are part of a Toronto team that ranks third in the American League in OPS while leading the majors in batting average and on-base percentage. Even after a lopsided loss to Detroit, the Blue Jays have a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees — although Toronto also has the second-worst run differential in the division. The Blue Jays have the best record in baseball by a half-game over the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. Toronto has won 21 of its last 27 games, and included in that stretch is a 6-1 record against the Yankees. The Blue Jays are 7-3 against New York, meaning they have clinched that season series should it become a tiebreaker. New York is just 11-18 against the AL East. Trivia time The Blue Jays last made the World Series in 1993. Who are the only other American League teams with longer droughts since their most recent pennants? Tumbling Tigers Detroit's 10-4 win over Toronto snapped a six-game skid for the Tigers — and that does not do justice to how poorly they were playing. Detroit had lost 12 of 13, being outscored 89-33 in the process. Ace Tarik Skubal can only do so much. The lone win during that stretch came in one of his starts — a 2-1 victory over Texas on July 20. When he took the mound six days later against Toronto, he threw six scoreless innings, only to have the Tigers go on to lose 6-1. Before Detroit fans panic too much, the Tigers had built up such a big lead that they still have an eight-game advantage over second-place Cleveland in the AL Central after the victory. FanGraphs gives them a 95.9% chance to make the playoffs. But their chances of earning a first-round bye — by having one of the top two records among AL division winners — is down to 52.6%. Line of the week More like line of the decade. Or perhaps the century. A's rookie Nick Kurtz went 6 for 6 with four home runs, eight RBIs and six runs in a 15-3 rout of Houston. Kurtz became the 20th player in major league history — and first rookie — with a four-homer game. He also doubled and singled, so he tied the single-game record for total bases with 19. Comeback of the week Minnesota had a one-run lead at Los Angeles in the bottom of the ninth — and Griffin Jax retired the first two batters for the Dodgers. Then it all unraveled for the Twins. Mookie Betts singled, Shohei Ohtani was walked intentionally, Esteury Ruiz drew another walk and then Freddie Freeman singled home two runs for a 4-3 win. The Twins had a win probability of 95.6% after the second out, according to Baseball Savant. Trivia answer The Orioles (1983), Athletics (1990), Twins (1991) and Mariners (never).
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
A year after they were (to a degree) deadline sellers, the Blue Jays are soaring
Even when they traded away a handful of established players at last year's deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays clearly believed a rebound was possible. A year later, they have a comfortable lead atop the AL East. It's hard to say that last year's deadline jump-started Toronto's turnaround, but the important thing is the Blue Jays didn't give up on their core despite being on their way to a last-place finish in 2024. They dealt players like Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Turner — but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette remained with Toronto. Keeping those two was something of a risk given that both could become free agents after this season. Bichette still can, but the Blue Jays were able to sign Guerrero to a $500-million, 14-year contract in April. Guerrero, Bichette and George Springer are part of a Toronto team that ranks third in the American League in OPS while leading the majors in batting average and on-base percentage. Even after a lopsided loss to Detroit on Sunday, the Blue Jays have a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees — although Toronto also has the second-worst run differential in the division. The Blue Jays have the best record in baseball by a half-game over the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. Toronto has won 21 of its last 27 games, and included in that stretch is a 6-1 record against the Yankees. The Blue Jays are 7-3 against New York, meaning they have clinched that season series should it become a tiebreaker. New York is just 11-18 against the AL East. Trivia time The Blue Jays last made the World Series in 1993. Who are the only other American League teams with longer droughts since their most recent pennants? Tumbling Tigers Detroit's 10-4 win over Toronto on Sunday snapped a six-game skid for the Tigers — and that does not do justice to how poorly they were playing. Detroit had lost 12 of 13, being outscored 89-33 in the process. Ace Tarik Skubal can only do so much. The lone win during that stretch came in one of his starts — a 2-1 victory over Texas on July 20. When he took the mound six days later against Toronto, he threw six scoreless innings, only to have the Tigers go on to lose 6-1. Before Detroit fans panic too much, the Tigers had built up such a big lead that they still have an eight-game advantage over second-place Cleveland in the AL Central after Sunday's victory. FanGraphs gives them a 95.9% chance to make the playoffs. But their chances of earning a first-round bye — by having one of the top two records among AL division winners — is down to 52.6%. Line of the week More like line of the decade. Or perhaps the century. A's rookie Nick Kurtz went 6 for 6 with four home runs , eight RBIs and six runs in a 15-3 rout of Houston on Friday night. Kurtz became the 20th player in major league history — and first rookie — with a four-homer game. He also doubled and singled, so he tied the single-game record for total bases with 19. Comeback of the week Minnesota had a one-run lead at Los Angeles in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday — and Griffin Jax retired the first two batters for the Dodgers. Then it all unraveled for the Twins. Mookie Betts singled, Shohei Ohtani was walked intentionally, Esteury Ruiz drew another walk and then Freddie Freeman singled home two runs for a 4-3 win. The Twins had a win probability of 95.6% after the second out, according to Baseball Savant . Trivia answer The Orioles (1983), Athletics (1990), Twins (1991) and Mariners (never). ___ AP MLB:
