FLUSHING, NY — Bo Bichette would say so himself his start to 2026 and tenure as a New York Met was not the beginning he had envisioned and hoped for.
“Part of it was probably getting comfortable, but also part of it is baseball’s tough and there’s a lot of ups and downs throughout a season,” the two-time All-Star told Latino Sports. “Obviously, I would’ve liked to start better. It makes seasons a lot easier when you start better, but it just kinda is what it is.”
Bichette, 28, of St. Petersburg, Florida, facing the music of the Big Apple, or in other words, pressure cooker early on in the season, had slashed .219/.275/.308 (.583 OPS) over March, April and May combined (59 games), with just five home runs and 28 RBI.
Jarring numbers from a star hitter of Bichette’s caliber—the only player in MLB history to record a double in nine consecutive games—however the rough start came at a time when he was making the transition from shortstop to the hot corner of third base. A position he had never played before in his MLB or MiLB career.
Bo Bichette’s beginning to 2026 and tenure as a New York Met did not get off to the right foot as the two-time All-Star struggled out of the gate – Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
Also at a time where Bichette, departing the Blue Jays for the Mets in free agency this past offseason, was still adjusting to New York after signing a three-year deal worth a total of $126 million that includes a player-option after 2026 and 2027.
Though factors such as those listed above do not matter to fans in New York or get taken into account.
The noise will indeed get louder and louder. As Bichette heard the boos in Queens and all the noise surrounding him, there was no ducking from any of it.
“Things happen differently every year and you learn how to grind through them and get back to who you are. And I mean, that’s really it. I’ve just grinded through it and figured out who I am again,” he said, posting a .302/.341/.448 slash line (.788 OPS) since the start of June (63 games) with seven home runs and 34 RBI.
Bo Bichette believes each day could be used a learning lesson to help for the next with his progression on the diamond this season proving it – Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
Throughout it all, more bad than good in 2026, as the Mets stand 54-69 and in the basement of the National League standings, Bichette—consistently one of the first Mets out on the field early to get work in with his glove and bat—has remained the same Bichette, taking each day as a learning lesson to get better for the next.
“I think a lot of times you learn the same lessons over and over again in baseball,” he noted. “Maybe the biggest thing is to continue to keep your foot on the gas. When you have success, sometimes you can kinda think you got it figured out. And tell you what, in this game you never got it figured out. So, that’s definitely a lesson I’ve learned before, but I learned it again this year.”
Like many Mets before Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor also had to battle through struggles during his first season in orange and blue back in 2021 – mage Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
Another game Bichette is trying to figure out, though this is from afar as he’s busy with his baseball, is tennis—a sport he played until stopping sometime during his early high school days at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“My dad wanted me to play tennis so I played tennis pretty much up until high school. I loved it and I’ve just loved it since,” said Bichette, comparing the sport on the court to his job in the batter’s box.
“It’s one-on-one and a lot of times as a hitter, you’re battling a lot of your own thoughts more so than even the opponent. And playing tennis is just an extended period of that. You’ve got a bunch of thoughts in your head. Negative, positive, all that, and you’re just battling yourself at that point.”
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are the two tennis stars he admires most, but Nadal, retiring in 2024, takes the No. 1 spot as Bichette claims his competitive drive and will to win is what made Nadal different from the rest.
“Just the competitiveness. Nadal in particular I think just may be the best competitor of all time,” Bichette said. “I don’t know, I just gravitated towards watching him and loved how he went about it. I loved the passion he played with and all that.”
When asked of his interest in attending the 2026 US Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, taking place walking distance from Citi Field at The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (Sunday, August 23rd-Sunday, September 13th), he responded:
“I haven’t looked at the schedules yet, but if I have the opportunity, I will definitely be there.”
There for him from the beginning—his father Dante Bichette, a former four-time MLB All-Star, mother Mariana, a native of Porto Alegre, Brazil and older brother Dante Jr., who played Minor League Baseball and even had the opportunity of representing Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Coincidentally or not, a young Bo Bichette, starting his MLB career with the Blue Jays, had a similar hairstyle to Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
When asked about his Brazilian heritage, he claimed he and his brother had been introduced to his mother’s culture at a young age thanks to their grandparents’ cooking skills and love for soccer.
“I would say the biggest things about how I grew up is my grandparents. Probably once a week, they would come over, and they would cook Brazilian sausage and Brazilian steak and Brazilian chicken for us. And then on top of that, every time the World Cup or the Olympics came around, I was watching soccer. And that’s the only time I watched soccer. That’s definitely a part of my childhood and it makes me love watching the World Cup and Olympics now.”
Other than love for his family, baseball, tennis and soccer, Bichette’s found joy in being able to impact others through his charitable work.
“Back home we have a few different things,” he said. “We’re with an organization called The PAL, Police Athletic League. They have little baseball leagues, and we help with that and help fund that. My wife (Alexis) is super into a program called The Alpha-Omega Miracle Home that helps single moms with kids that need housing, clothes, and all that.”
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