Jays, Bichette looking for better results in May after mediocre start
We’re only one month into the 2024 Major League Baseball season and all 30 teams have hit the ground running, including the Toronto Blue Jays. They prepare to visit the Washington Nationals for the first game in a three-game series Friday, May 3, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., with all the action airing live on AppleTV.
After what many believe was an underperforming season for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, and having gone winless in six post-season games since 2020, this season brings a new sense of excitement and optimism as Jays shortstop Bo Bichette looks to step up in big ways.
“That’s the culture — to show up every day and be ready to do whatever we can to win a game. And that culture is built over a period of time of people holding each other accountable to that standard and that culture,” Bichette told the Toronto Sun. “That’s what we’re working on now.”
Last season, Bichette boasted an impressive .306 batting average, .399 slugging percentage, 20 home runs and 73 RBIs, with an improved defensive game going from -16 runs saved in 2022 to five runs saved in 2023. And by the time the all-star game rolled around, Bichette led the MLB in hits, while leading the American League in total bases, multi-hit home games and batting average — an all-star caliber season, to say the least.
While Bichette wasn’t available for the Blue Jays the last time they faced the Nationals, the Blue Jays dominated the Nats in their last matchup, with Vladamir Guerrero Jr. putting up two home runs and leading to the Jays walking away with a commanding 7-0 victory.
Meanwhile, for the Nationals, rebuilding again appears to be the theme since the Nats won the World Series in 2019, with the team officially parting ways at last year’s trade deadline with star outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. Adding to the rebuild, former World Series MVP and MLB veteran pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who recently announced his retirement while spending most of his time since the 2019 playoffs idled by injuries.
Don’t miss any of the action as Bo Bichette and the Toronto Blue Jays visit the Washington Nationals on Friday, May 3, at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., with the game broadcast live on AppleTV.