Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette focused solely on World Series title

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Bo Bichette never wanted to think about the end of his time in Toronto.

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He didn't want to think about it after a disappointing and disappointing 2024 season that saw the Blue Jays sink into the cellar of the American League East.

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He didn't want to think about it when he injured his knee on Sept. 6 and there was a very real possibility his season was over.

And he, of course, didn't want to think about it before Friday's Game 6 of the World Seriessomething he's dreamed of since he and his teammate, the son of major league star Vlad Guerrero Jr., made it to the big leagues.

But that doesn't mean the two-time All-Star isn't capable of reflecting on what a wonderful 2025 season has been, a long and sometimes winding road that led the Jays back to Toronto, needing just one win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete their 121st World Series.

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“Incredible Journey”

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Bichette said before Game 6, hours before fans gathered at Rogers Center for the big night in town. “Obviously, I grew up here in a lot of ways. This is the only organization I know.”

“But I don't really look to the past. I have very important things to do right now.”

And he also does not look openly to the future.

Job No. 1, of course, was to clean up the Jays' lineup, which needed two of the Dodgers' three starters in Los Angeles to create the innings in front of them at home. However, in conclusion, free agency will follow Bichette.

But who knows, a World Series title might change both sides' minds about him staying in town and with the team he played for his entire career and for which he made his major league debut at age 21.

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Takes nothing for granted

“It's incredible,” Bichette said of the events of the past month, although much of that month has been spent speeding up his recovery from knee surgery. “Everyone tells you (embrace it), especially my dad (Dante), who never had a chance to play in the World Series. So throughout your career, everyone tells you not to take winning for granted.

“But you have to learn that for yourself. There were a lot of times when I thought we were going to win, but we didn't. So to be here and learn from past seasons is… it's something special to be here. It's something I'll never take for granted.”

There have indeed been learning curves along the way, both positive and negative. There was a big uptick when Bichette and Guerrero made their major league debuts in 2019, with immediate ripple effects.

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And then there was humility.

In both 2022 and 2023, the Blue Jays had terrible postseason losses that Bichette didn't take particularly well. What followed was a disastrous last-place season in which he was injured much of the time and outperformed by the rest.

But after an offseason of soul-searching, he came back bigger and better than ever.

“I beat myself up a little,” Bichette told me in an interview. introspective interview still in spring training. “There are many reasons why my season went the way it did last year, but I’m not going to go into details.

Bouncing back

“I'm in a great position to compete, enjoy the game and try to help this team win. We're human. I wasn't the best last year.”

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This year, of course, it was much closer. And while he was a major contributor to the success and would have led the American League in hitting if not for his injury on September 6th, his future was also an undeniable part of that narrative.

When Guerrero signed a $500 million US contract extension in April, many wanted to assume Bichette would leave as a free agent. Of course, that could still happen, but who knows how much a World Series title might change negotiations on both sides for him to stay here?

However, Bichette knows one thing: despite being given plenty of advice to not rush back to avoid further injury and thus jeopardizing whatever happens in the offseason, his competitive side has taken over.

“Of course, a lot of people told me to take care of myself,” Bichette said Friday. “I mean, I even had that mindset a little bit. But to be able to play in this series, it's a no-brainer.

“I mean, it's World Seriesso honestly none of this really matters.

“I’ll give it all up for this.”

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