Toronto Blue Jays: Bo Bichette continues to impress
Toronto Blue Jays prospect Bo Bichette continues to add to his impressive resume, as he won the award for top offensive minor league player.
It is no secret that Toronto Blue Jays prospect Bo Bichette had an impressive season as he made the rise through the minor leagues. He, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., went from Class-A to Dunedin but still continued to produce at a high level.
The 19-year-old infielder finished the season with 14 home runs, 74 RBI, a slash line of .362/.423./.565 along with an OPS of .988. That performance was good enough for Bichette to claim the award for the top offensive player in the MiLb.
He was also named the Midwest League MVP during his time with the Lansing Lugnuts and was a member of Dunedin’s Florida State championship roster. There is a lot to be excited with as the 2016 second round pick has many wondering when he would be ready to make the jump up the minor leagues along with Vladdy Jr.
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As mentioned by the Toronto Star, Bichette joins elite company with this award which includes players like Kris Bryant and George Springer to receive the award.
He was recently on Sportsnet 590 with Mike Wilnder to speak about some areas of his game. In that conversation, he spoke about spending time with current Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and how he looked up to. He also mentioned how the team has not talked to him about his swing which he believes has helped him in his development.
Jason Woodell from Prospects 1500 looked at Bichette’s swing and what makes it so effective especially with the leg kick:
"Bichette’s leg kick generates a lot of torque through his core. He does wrap the bat behind his head but the wrap is not initiated by his hands. It is initiated by his trunk rotation. There are two very important take aways. The front shoulder and hip remain closed allowing Bichette to generate power through his lower half while keeping his hands back."
This type of production will be something to keep an eye on as the Blue Jays need their young players to continue to make strides in the minor leagues with the emergence of the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
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Considering his status as the 25th ranked prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com. He along with Guerrero Jr. will have a lot of pressure on them to perform but considering how they have exceeded expectations so far, there should not be concerns about their potential moving forward.