Bo Bichette’s return to Toronto carried the kind of emotion that doesn’t need much buildup. Before he ever stepped into the box Monday, the former Blue Jays star was already feeling the weight of the moment inside Rogers Centre.
“It feels different, for sure,” Bichette said before facing Toronto for the first time, according to SNY. “But I'm excited to get out here and play some ball and see some guys. But it's definitely odd.”
Now with the New York Mets after signing a three-year, $126-million deal this past offseason, Bichette spent the first eight seasons of his big-league career in Toronto. The Blue Jays drafted him in the second round in 2016, and he grew up in the organization alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., helping push the club back into relevance in the 2020s.
That made Monday night feel like more than just another game. Bichette was asked how he thought Toronto fans would greet him, and he got visibly emotional.
“I don't know what to expect. I think that I ... I gave it everything I had, so I just hope that's appreciated,” he said.
The reception, at least early, answered that question. Blue Jays fans gave Bichette two standing bursts of approval, first after a pregame tribute video and then again before his first-inning at-bat.
His Toronto résumé is already packed. Bichette made two All-Star teams, led the American League in hits twice and helped the Blue Jays reach the playoffs four times. A knee injury last September knocked him out for most of Toronto’s playoff run, though he did make it back in time for the World Series.
Even while shifting to second base, a spot he had never played in the majors, and dealing with that knee issue, Bichette still delivered in the Fall Classic. He went 8-for-23 with six RBIs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 put Toronto in position to win it all. His final at-bat in a Blue Jays uniform was a ninth-inning single that put the potential series-winning run on base.
“You dream of getting to that situation and that opportunity. I'm so grateful that we had that experience and got there, but you dream of winning it,” Bichette said of Game 7. “I don't know how many times I've replayed it, but it comes to mind every once in a while.”
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