Back in 2016, the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Bo Bichette in the 2nd round as a SS/2B. The second base part of that was important, as many scouts pegged him to be a minor league shortstop, and eventually crack the Majors at second. Since getting that promotion back in 2019, nobody has questioned the bat (he led the league in hits in both 2021, and 2022). The defense, however, has been much shakier, leading to fans calling for a position switch. Currently in his 4th full season, is it time to make the change?
On the surface, it’s easy to say he hasn’t been that bad this season. In total, Bichette has committed 4 errors, leaving him tied for 30th in the league (a list that includes elite defensive teammate Matt Chapman). But when you look deeper, there are some interesting numbers.
A popular stat when looking at defence is Outs Above Average, or OAA. To spare the complicated ‘stat talk’, this metric is used to determine how many outs an individual saves compared to others. Now there are a bunch of other specifics that go into it, like where the player starts, their speed, etc. But in simple terms, if you’re above zero, you’re an above average defender. Below, and yup, you guessed it, a below average defender.
As of this writing, Bichette’s OAA sits at 0. Considering his career total is -17, it’s not so bad. Even though that number is average, Bichette still only ranks in the 36th percentile. It’s a tough number when compared against the league leader at SS, Xander Bogaerts, who’s sitting pretty with an 8.
With the improvement in OAA, we are seeing a decrease in his throw strength. Sitting at 82.5 MPH on the season, Bichette is throwing 2 mph slower, posting a career low.
(provided by Baseball Savant)
Now this isn’t something to be overly worried about. It’s more likely a by-product of having a full season of Matt Chapman, the human vacuum cleaner, fielding pretty much any ball hit to Bichette’s right. This has allowed Bo to worry more about the balls hit ‘In’ at him, which he is fielding at a 92% success rate.
(provided by Baseball Savant)
The left chart indicates Bichette's starting position, and the right indicates his ending position when he releases the ball. As you can see, Bichette is fielding the ball closer to 1st base. This allows him to take a little english off his throw, resulting in a bit more accuracy for Vladdy to receive.
Current shortstop depth for the Jays leaves something to be desired, as Santiago Espinal is the only other player with any experience. With Bo Bichette continuing to prove himself as one of the best hitters in the entire league, I think management will gladly take the current version of his defence.
Is there risk involved for a team with championship aspirations? Of course there is. But a slight improvement is, well, still improvement. I think it’ll be a forever battle between Jays fans and Bichette’s defence, but at the end of the day, we’ll all still be watching.
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