Bo Bichette

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #2 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: While Dante Bichette hit 274 home runs and made four All-Star games in a 14-year major league career, his son Bo has a chance to be even better. Bichette quickly catapulted from a 2016 second-round pick to one of the best prospects in baseball by the end of 2017. As one of the youngest players in the Double-A Eastern League in 2018, he drew praise for his offense and impressed on defense.
  
  Scouting Report: Bichette has explosive bat speed and a rhythmic swing that generates a lot of torque. He swings hard--sometimes losing his balance--but he's usually in-sync, on time and on plane. He starts his swing with an aggressive leg kick, though he shortens to a toe tap with two strikes. He drives the ball well to the middle of the field with average raw power, and he has the bat speed and strength projection to hit for above-average power in the future. Bichette has worked diligently on his conditioning and fielding and now projects as an average shortstop. He has good body control, quick footwork and ranges well up the middle. He has a tick above-average arm, though he gets tested on balls to his right. With a game built around aggression, Bichette carried that mentality onto the field and often would charge in on groundballs, but in 2018 he did a better job of staying back and making plays under control. He's an average runner whose aggressiveness and reads helped him steal 32 bases.
  
  The Future: Bichette is scheduled to open 2019 at Triple-A Buffalo, but he could be in the majors by the All-Star break. With a chance to develop into a plus-or-better hitter and stick at shortstop, plenty of All-Star games could be in his future.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #2 prospect in 2018
  Bichette's father Dante played 14 years in the big leagues, and his older brother Dante Jr. was a Yankees supplemental first-round pick in 2011. Bo went No. 66 overall in 2016 and quickly became the steal of the draft. He blasted his way through two levels in 2017 during his first full season, winning the low Class A Midwest League MVP and claiming the minor league batting title (.362). Bichette loads his swing with an aggressive leg kick and unleashes a powerful swing with fierce bat speed. He's consistently on time and on plane through the hitting zone for a long time, which allows him to barrel balls at a high rate. Bichette has a good sense for the strike zone and uses the whole field, with above-average power and loft to go deep to all fields. He has a strong, compact frame and while some scouts think he's a future second or third baseman, he looked better than expected at shortstop in 2017. An average runner, Bichette lacks flash at shortstop and doesn't have the range or footwork many teams want at the position, but he's a fundamentally sound defender with a good internal clock and an above-average arm. Bichette draws comparisons with Josh Donaldson, with a chance to be a middle-of-the-order hitter and has the potential to be one of the most talented offensive players in baseball. Double-A New Hampshire is his next step.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #9 prospect in 2017
  Bichette's father and brother paved his way into baseball. Dante Sr. hit 274 home runs in 14 big league seasons, while Dante Jr., a supplemental first-round pick of the Yankees in 2011, has reached Double-A. The brothers played together for Brazil's World Baseball Classic qualifier team in September in Brooklyn; their mother is Brazilian. He hit .427 and ranked second in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 36 RBIs in just 22 games. He missed a month with appendicitis but didn't require surgery. Bichette uses a somewhat unconventional swing with an exaggerated, deep load in his swing, but it worked throughout his amateur career and worked extremely well in his pro debut. He makes in-at-bat adjustments with an advanced approach for a prep, and scouts who believe his hand and bat speed will make his approach work see him as an above-average hitter with at least plus power. Bichette has solid athleticism, average range and speed and an above-average arm. The Blue Jays will keep him at shortstop as long as he can play it. From his exaggerated swing to defensive future, which is likely at third base, Bichette shares similarities with Josh Donaldson. He's headed to low Class A Lansing, where he'll play short next to third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #46 prospect in 2016 draft
  Dante Bichette was a four-time all-star during his 14-year big league career, and his eldest son, Dante Jr., was the 51st overall pick in the 2011 draft. Five years later, Bo, the youngest Bichette brother, has a chance to go in about that same range. Bichette is home schooled, but plays at nearby Lakewood High. He has had a big spring at the plate, but that has also gotten the attention of opposing teams, who have liberally issued him intentional walks all spring. When he does get the chance to hit, Bichette shows a mature approach at the plate and plus power. The righthanded hitter has exceptionally fast hands, allowing him to whip the bat through the zone and drive the ball. His swing includes a deep load and an exaggerated back elbow swoop, but his bat works through the zone well and he controlled at-bats against elite competition on the showcase circuit. Bichette has a steady glove and a strong arm. He plays shortstop now and could go out as one, but will eventually move to second base or, more likely owing to his 6-foot, 200-pound frame, third base. No matter where the Arizona State recruit ends up defensively, Bichette's main attraction will always be his offensive ability.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #2 prospect in 2019
  Bichette missed seven weeks early in the season with a broken hand, then immediately returned to showing the world why he was so highly regarded. His elite hand-eye coordination leads to plenty of loud contact at the plate, and he’s continued to improve as a shortstop as well. He earned his first big league callup on July 29 and quickly set a record with 15 extra-base hits in his first 15 games. He and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have the look of an elite left side of the infield.
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  Ranked Eastern League #2 prospect in 2018
  It’s hard to fly under the radar when you’re a top-five prospect in the game, but that’s what Bichette did spending half the season playing alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at New Hampshire. Bichette finished as one of only 13 minor leaguers with more than 30 stolen bases and double-digit homers. Rival evaluators praised Bichette’s advanced approach and elite bat-to-ball skills, which allowed him to raise his walk rate from last season even as the second-youngest player in the league. Bichette got a bit overaggressive early in the season but worked with his coaching staff to better learn which pitches he can drive and which ones he’s better leaving alone. On defense, there’s still a split camp whether he can stay at shortstop or will have to move over to second base. His detractors point to his inconsistent arm slots he uses on throws, which affects his arm strength. The Blue Jays have worked with Bichette to iron out the kinks in the way he throws the ball across the diamond. He has just average speed, but he’s become such an intelligent runner that he can be a successful basestealer.
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  Ranked Midwest League #3 prospect in 2017
  The son of Dante Bichette, Bo engendered questions about how he lasted deep into the second round in 2016 after a historic first half in the MWL. He flirted with .400 before finishing at .384/.448/.623 in 70 games and a promotion to high Class A. Bichette has average power, but it's his all-fields approach that is really the key to his success. He uses the middle of the field and is content to change his approach with two strikes. The biggest question about Bichette is his unusual swing. He uses a big leg kick, hip turn and a deep coil to unleash a long swing that stays in the zone a long time as well. Scouts say he has the plus-plus bat speed to compensate but are concerned he will not sustain that as he ages and as pitchers adjust. Scouts expect that Bichette will move off shortstop to second base, where he can be an average defender with an average arm and average range. He's an average to tick above runner.
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  Ranked Florida State League #2 prospect in 2017
  Some managers prefer Bichette to Guerrero, a testament to Bichette's talent and first full pro season. Like Guerrero, Bichette is the son of a big leaguer (Dante Bichette) who seems born to hit. Bichette has natural timing and generates power to all fields with an aggressive swing. Then he has a two-strike approach that emphasizes contact, and he finished second in the minors with a .423 on-base percentage while striking out just 16 percent of the time. Bichette's bat would play if he has to move off shortstop, but most managers and scouts give him a better-than-average shot at sticking there. While other shortstops likely have more range and better footwork than Bichette, he plays low, has the internal clock to make routine and tough plays, gains ground well and has all the fundamentals to go with an above-average arm.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #4 prospect in 2016
  During Bichette's senior season in high school, scouts didn't get the best chance to see him hit in games because he was constantly being intentionally walked or pitched around. The son of former major league outfielder Dante Bichette, Bo went in the second round and signed for $1.1 million, then demolished GCL pitching during his brief time in the league before he missed five weeks with appendicitis, though he didn't require surgery. With hitting mannerisms reminiscent of Josh Donaldson, Bichette gears up for his swing with a leg kick, cranks his back elbow with a deep load, then accelerates the bat head into the hitting zone thanks to terrific bat speed. He keeps the barrel on plane through the zone for a long time, showing a mature approach and polished feel to hit for his age, and he quiets his swing when he gets into two-strike counts. He hits to all fields and drives the ball with plus power. The Blue Jays plan to develop Bichette as a shortstop, where he has a good internal clock, a solid arm and makes plays on the run. He's a below-average runner who could move to second or third base.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #8 prospect in 2019
• Ranked Baseball America's #8 prospect in 2018

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Bichette missed seven weeks early in the season with a broken hand, then immediately returned to showing the world why he was so highly regarded. His elite hand-eye coordination leads to plenty of loud contact at the plate, and he’s continued to improve as a shortstop as well. He earned his first big league callup on July 29 and quickly set a record with 15 extra-base hits in his first 15 games. He and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have the look of an elite left side of the infield.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  One of the best hitters in the minors, Bichette has high-end bat speed, an aggressive approach and he has shown more game power as the season progressed, making adjustments to Double-A pitchers who have tried to use his aggressiveness against with with early-count offspeed stuff. While Bichette mostly draws attention for his hitting ability, the most encouraging signs have come on the defensive end, with Bichette now looking like a true shortstop with good instincts and footwork.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Bichette's father Dante played 14 years in the big leagues, and his older brother Dante Jr. was a Yankees supplemental first-round pick in 2011. He went No. 66 overall in 2016 and quickly became the steal of the draft. He blasted his way through two levels in 2017, winning the low Class A Midwest League MVP and the minor league batting title. Scouting Report: Bichette loads his swing with an aggressive leg kick and unleashes a powerful swing with fierce bat speed. He's consistently on time and on plane through the hitting zone for a long time, which allows him to barrel balls at a high rate. Bichette has a good sense for the strike zone and uses the whole field, with above-average power and loft to go deep to all fields. He has a strong, compact frame and while some scouts think he's a future second or third baseman, he looked better than expected at shortstop in 2017. An average runner, Bichette doesn't have the range or footwork many teams want at the position, but he's a fundamentally sound defender with an above-average arm. The Future: Bichette has the potential to be one of the most talented offensive players in baseball. Double-A New Hampshire is his next step.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Bichette's father and brother paved his way into baseball. Dante Sr. hit 274 home runs in 14 big league seasons, while Dante Jr., a supplemental first-round pick of the Yankees in 2011, has reached Double-A. The brothers played together for Brazil's World Baseball Classic qualifier team in September in Brooklyn; their mother is Brazilian. He hit .427 and ranked second in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 36 RBIs in just 22 games. He missed a month with appendicitis but didn't require surgery. Scouting Report: Bichette uses a somewhat unconventional swing with an exaggerated, deep load in his swing, but it worked throughout his amateur career and worked extremely well in his pro debut. He makes in-at-bat adjustments with an advanced approach for a prep, and scouts who believe his hand and bat speed will make his approach work see him as an above-average hitter with at least plus power. Bichette has solid athleticism, average range and speed and an above-average arm. The Blue Jays will keep him at shortstop as long as he can play it. The Future: From his exaggerated swing to defensive future, which is likely at third base, Bichette shares similarities with Josh Donaldson. He's headed to low Class A Lansing, where he'll play short next to third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2017.