From The Dugout: How Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Are Adjusting to Mets, New York

New York — On Sunday evening, about 20 minutes after the Mets’ first loss of the season, Bo Bichette materialized from the double doors on the far side of the team clubhouse. Waiting for him was a gaggle of media members teeming with cameras, microphones, notebooks and recorders. Bichette, still wearing his eye black from a game in which he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, stepped into the lion’s den of reporters. Hitting third behind Juan Soto in the team’s new-look lineup, Bichette went 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts in his first series as a Met. This was not what anybody had expected from the two-time All-Star. In seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette built a reputation as a low-strikeout hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills. His initial at-bats as a Met were starkly different, and in the series finale against the Pirates, the home crowd at Citi Field let him hear it. Mets fans booed Bichette for his slow start. So, there was a lot to unpack postgame on Sunday. There was a chance it could get ugly, given this was Bichette’s first time facing the music in New York after struggling at the plate to begin the season. First impressions matter a great deal around here. Bichette, standing with his chin up in front of the team backdrop in the center of the quiet locker room, put on a masterclass in how to navigate difficult questions about a poor performance. He was honest. “Sometimes in-between, sometimes trying to do too much,” Bichette said, shaking his head, of his approach at the plate. “That’s pretty much what happens when you don’t feel good. “I didn’t anticipate it. But I definitely felt that — wanting to have a big moment, not only for my teammates, but for the fans and everything. That’s just something I have to manage.” If there’s one thing that can lessen the pain of a loss, it’s accountability. Mets fans have seen and heard it all throughout the organization’s 40-year championship drought. Excuses, falsehoods, egos, lack of awareness — you name it. But owning it? That’s rare. That’s the stuff of superstars, and that’s who Bichette looked like on Sunday as he candidly disclosed why he’d been out of sorts at the plate. For players, admitting that they’re trying to be the hero is typically not something that’s said out loud. Sure, that sentiment can be shared privately with teammates, particularly with those who have been through it and might offer advice on how to overcome it. But broadcasting it to the media, where it can be used as a sound bite that will be played on a loop on TV and social media? That just doesn’t happen all that often anymore. When he was asked about a sensitive subject, if the boos at Citi Field caught him off guard, Bichette actually laughed and said, “No. If anything, I thought it took too long. But I mean, I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too.” Bichette’s integrity was refreshing. It was the type of leadership the Mets need in their heavily overturned clubhouse. His candor may not only help Mets fans forgive his start, but also wish he didn’t have opt-outs after every season of his three-year, $126 million contract. Bichette understood that booing comes with the territory, and it takes guts to stand in front of unfamiliar faces and choose to be honest in a new and intimidating media market. Still, Bichette knows he has to back it up. The third baseman smoked a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning of the Mets’ series opener against the Cardinals on Monday in St. Louis. He flashed a huge smile when he got to first base. Playing in New York isn’t for everyone, but sometimes the hyper-competitive, win-now environment is all anyone needs to flourish. New Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has so far excelled since being acquired from the White Sox, for whom he played for six years, the most talented hitter in an otherwise hopeless lineup. The White Sox went 41-121 in 2024, setting an MLB record for the most losses in a single season. After his All-Star and Silver Slugger 2023 season, Robert was limited by injuries and produced below-league-average results the past two years. This season, in the short sample size of a few games, we’ve already seen Robert string together competitive at-bats and meet the moment. It’s a case study in how a change of scenery can improve player performance. “It’s a different feeling when you come to the ballpark and you have the chance to win every day, to go to the playoffs, to go to the top of the top,” Soto told me on Sunday in the Mets’ clubhouse. “It’s just a different feeling in all aspects. So I think this is one of the best things you can have, being on a team that wants to compete every year and tries to be part of the playoffs every year. I think it’s a different breed.” In the 11th inning of a frigid Saturday night at Citi Field, Robert hit a three-run walk-off home run against Pirates left-hander Hunter Barco. Robert has had more success against southpaws in his career, with a batting average near .300 compared to his .260 overall mark. He didn’t waste any time showcasing how dangerous he can be in the middle of New York’s lineup, particularly when he’s locked in. Robert batted .455 (5-for-11) with five RBIs, three runs scored and three walks in the three-game series against Pittsburgh. “It’s really special, honestly,” Robert said through an interpreter after his game-winning homer on Saturday. “To be able to do it here? These last two games have really been special.” While Bichette has to figure out how to manage heightened expectations in New York, Robert and the Mets have to find the best workload management to keep him healthy. There is no question about his raw talent. That much was obvious after he went deep in below-freezing temperatures on Saturday. The Mets gave Robert a day off on Monday, the first of many that will be incorporated into his season. The team believes recovery is the answer to the 28-year-old staying healthy all year, which is something he’s achieved just once in his seven-year big-league career, in that peak 2023 season. On average, Robert came to New York having played in just 96 games per season. Even if he can lift that output to around 120 games this season and be ready for October baseball, that’s a win for Robert, New York and the Mets. “I feel like, right from the moment that he showed up, we saw how great he can be for the team and how good of a player he can be,” Soto said. “And the ability that he has is through the roof. I’m really excited for him.”