The Toronto Blue Jays selected second baseman Bo Bichette, the son of four-time All-Star outfielder Dante Bichette, in the second round of Thursday night’s MLB draft at No. 66 overall.
The 18-year-old is known for packing serious power and finished his senior year at Lakewood High School with a .569 batting average and 13 home runs, according to the Tampa Bay Times‘ Rodney Page.
Like his father, who smashed 274 home runs over the course of a 14-year MLB career, Bichette uses tremendous power to stand out. However, he will need to refine his swing as his career continues if he wants to produce consistently at the plate.
“The right-handed hitter has exceptionally fast hands, allowing him to whip the bat through the zone and drive the ball,” Baseball America wrote (via Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter). “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 verbally committed to the Arizona State Sun Devils, but he told Page he’d have to reconsider his future plans depending on his draft slot.
“If it’s a first-round pick, that’s going to be hard to pass up,” he said. “It really depends on the team and the offer. Some teams are better than others at developing players, so that’s something we’ll have to look at.”
It could be hard for the youngster to turn down a shot at moving into the Blue Jays farm system. According to MLB.com’s rankings, Toronto has just two second basemen among its top 30 prospects—and they clock in at Nos. 26 and 29.
Bichette’s game still craves polish in the field and when it comes to hitting for contact, but he has the tools to develop into a starting-caliber power hitter who can buoy the middle of a lineup.
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