The biggest investment the New York Mets made this offseason was signing Bo Bichette in free agency. With a three-year, $126 million contract comes high expectations, especially after Bichette appeared as Pete Alonso’s replacement. Fans were loud enough to make their discontent known with Bichette’s at-bats, but Bichette handled the situation graciously.

The Mets fans want to see results from Bichette, and by the seventh inning of the third game, they became impatient. In the third game of the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday at Citi Field, Bichette went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, following which the crowd started booing. The new Mets third baseman admitted that his hitting performance has been terrible, and the boos were not uncalled for.

“If anything, I thought it took too long,”  stated Bichette. “I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too.”

Though the Mets managed to win the series 2-1, Bichette struggled at the plate. He went 1-for-14 with 8 strikeouts in the series. Moreover, during the Mets’ loss on Sunday, Bichette went hitless, though he had runners in scoring position twice.

Bichette handled the booing graciously by owning up to his mistakes and struggles. The two-time All-Star is still getting adjusted to New York and his new role as a 3B. He has been eager to create a moment for himself, the team, and the fans; he is feeling the pressure of it.

“I definitely felt that wanting to have a moment, not only for my teammates but for the fans and everything. It’s just something that I have to manage,” expressed Bichette.

Bichette’s previous records indicate that he indeed has the potential to create those ‘moments.’ Last season, Bichette’s strikeout rate was only 14.5%, ranking in the 86percentile in MLB. He also posted a .311 batting average with 18 homers and 94 RBIs, recording a career-best .840 OPS. During his tenure at Toronto, Bichette led the AL East twice in hits, in 2021 (191 hits) and 2022 (189 hits).

Though Bichette had a slow start, his teammates are confident in his abilities.

“He’s one of the best hitters in the game. He’s going to have a lot of big moments for us,” said veteran Francisco Lindor.

Lindor did not have it easy either; his only two hits in the first series of the season came in the third game. At present, he is 2-for-11 with three strikeouts.

While Bichette has accepted the fans’ frustrations with him gracefully, WFAN host Tommy Lugauer believes it’s too soon to judge.

WFAN host would not have booed Bichette

The boos came for Bo Bichette early in his tenure with the Mets. Only three games in, the Mets fans could not hold it back. WFAN host Tommy Lugauer stated that he would have never booed Bo Bichette so early in a 162-game-long season.

On WFAN, Lugauer further praised Bichette for expertly handling the situation, owning up to his mistakes, and struggles. Bichette accepted the harsh feedback graciously by not saying anything in retaliation.

“Bo Bichette handled himself brilliantly after the game,” remarked Lugauer. “I think he handled getting booed the exact way you should handle it, by saying the right things, by not going after the fans, by taking ownership of it.”

Lugauer further stated that Bichette would bounce back, and the boos came too early. He further expected the fans to display more patience and embrace the positive side of things. For instance, even though the Mets could not execute a sweep due to losing Game 3, they ultimately won the season opener series.

“I believe he is going to bounce back in a big-time way. He understands the criticism. Now I wouldn’t boo in three games. And I would prefer if fans were more positive about these sorts of things.”

The WFAN host further pondered whether the boos were more aimed at David Stearns for letting go of Pete Alonso, especially, as Bichette is viewed as the five-time All-Star’s replacement. Bichette, the long-time shortstop, is getting used to his position as the 3B in the Mets. He managed four putouts at third base and has made only one error.

The Mets will be on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals, and Bichette will be looking forward to impressing fans this time around.