The secret to quieting skeptics is Bichette’s quiet leadership.
The standout shortstop for the Blue Jays is as aware of the things this team has to improve upon as anyone, starting with an awareness of where they have come from.
“We’ve never been questioned before,” Bichette stated on Wednesday in Dunedin. “We’ve always had high standards, and striving to prove people wrong instead of right is clearly a different approach. We’ll see what we can accomplish this year, in my opinion.
This isn’t just the meaningless assertion made by made-up skeptics that you hear over and over again in every sport each year. Bichette is accurate. Over the previous few seasons, the Blue Jays have been the talk of the preseason as everyone’s favorite American League team to win the World Series. That is the result of having a star-studded roster that appears impressive on paper.
That is no longer the case. Now that Toronto has faltered in the playoffs for three straight seasons—all three of which ended in a swift Wild Card sweep—there are worries, the most of which are justified. The Blue Jays cannot permit this story to continue to take hold and become established.
“You ought to endeavor to validate your own correctness,” Bichette remarked. “You ought to strive to improve as a player as much as possible. Although it shouldn’t, the outside matters. If any of us claimed we didn’t see any of it or that it didn’t inspire us in any way, I believe we would all be lying. There are males that are proud of what they do and want to demonstrate it to others.
Bichette has a natural ability to lead. Being the best player on your team when you’re ten, twelve, or sixteen years old comes with that baggage. It’s just part of the deal being one of baseball’s best prospects and having to live up to the hype as a team’s face. Bichette has been forced to shoulder a lot of this, but he has done a fantastic job doing so.
The Bichette you see here is a confident individual who knows who he is and what he believes. Since Bichette cannot be quantified in decibels, his leadership development hasn’t been overtly evident, but others who have known him for the most of his professional career can see it.
Manager John Schneider, who oversaw a 20-year-old Bichette at Double-A in 2018, stated, “He’s always been quiet.” “There are countless forms and dimensions to leadership. He’s always, in my opinion, relied on setting an example on the field. I believe you notice him becoming a little more talkative as you become older and more at ease with your teammates. Even though he still does it gently, we can now see that he doesn’t hesitate to speak up in front of the group. There is weight to his voice.
Finding the appropriate notes at the right moment is one of the problems of leadership. It calls for optimism for the future while also admitting that yesterday’s events were flawed.
Bichette doesn’t duck this question. He added pilates, swimming, and muay thai to his training during the offseason in an effort to properly position his body following a knee injury that sidelined him in 2023. Bichette’s statement on his team’s need for “urgency” during the postseason push after he recovered from that injury perfectly encapsulated the situation.
The Blue Jays are unable to ignore 2023, nor can they put it in the back of their closet and act as though it never occurred.
Bichette remarked, “I don’t think a lot of things went right.” Of course, the pitching was outstanding. That, along with the defense, really kept us competitive the entire season. We didn’t bring consistency in terms of offense. All we need to do is improve in these areas: preparation, daily attention, and competitiveness. We must improve.
Following Bichette’s lead is the only way to get out of this situation and quiet the naysayers who have been more vocal over the frustrating years. Though he won’t be speaking loudly, he is moving in the right path.