Bo Bichette of the Mets is performing better than his poor statistics indicate

Bo Bichette’s Struggles at the Plate

PHOENIX — It seems that Bo Bichette’s performance may be suffering from a bit of bad luck.

The Mets infielder hasn’t managed to find his footing just yet, and Saturday’s outing was less than stellar, ending with a .570 OPS. However, his underlying stats indicate that he might be capable of better results.

Bichette’s batting average is currently sitting at .231, but Statcast indicates his expected average would be much higher, at .283, which puts him in the 83rd percentile across Major League Baseball.

In his recent games, he’s made solid contact. On Friday against the Diamondbacks, he hit two well-struck balls, one reaching the right-field fence for an out. During Saturday’s match, he notched another strong hit—a 160 mph drive to left field, only to be recorded as an out in the eighth inning.

“It feels like every day he’s hitting rockets,” said manager Carlos Mendoza before the game. “I’m not concerned. The ball will eventually find its way through. He’s just too good.”

Bichette’s hard-hit percentage stands at 46.9%, with an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph, indicating that some misfortune might be skewing his overall OPS.

Mendoza emphasized the importance of staying focused on what can be controlled—like making good swings and getting the right pitches to hit.

In a different note, Luis Torrence experienced some jaw pain Saturday after a foul ball struck his mask the night before. He assured that he was ready to play, but Mendoza opted to adjust the lineup, placing Francisco Alvarez (who went 0-for-3) behind the plate, while MJ Melendez (also hitless, though he walked) took the DH spot.

Mendoza mentioned there’s a decent chance Torrence could be back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale.

For Sunday’s game, Huascar Brazoban is set to open, with David Peterson likely stepping in for extended relief. Brazoban had previously started against Colorado on Monday, while Peterson, a lefty, allowed two earned runs over four innings in his last outing.