Bo Bichette: In depth look at his stance and pre-swing load

Bo Bichette, the 2017 MiLB batting champ, rocketed up prospect lists after an amazing season that led to a Futures Game appearance and a promotion to High A Dunedin as a teenager.  Much has been written about his dominant start to his pro career and Bichette has become a household name in the home’s Jays fans who patiently await his arrival to the Rogers Centre.

Bichette was the 66th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of tiny Lakewood High in St. Petersburg, FL.  Scouts seemed bullish on his swing.  I found a few examples dating back before Bichette set A ball on fire.   From a Baseball America chat with John Manuel in October 2016:

Keith (Farmington, CT): Thanks John. There were concerns about Bo Bichette's swing mechanics at draft time. Did his excellent-yet-brief GCL performance dispel all that? Please tell me we can go Boba-chette crazy. #Boknowsstarwars
John Manuel: There are still questions about it; you don’t dispel preconceived notions in 22 games. So we’ll see how Bo handles full-season ball.
BA Chat

From Joel Reuter (@joelreuterbr) said in June, 2016

Making consistent contact will be the biggest battle for Bichette once he begins his career at the next level. He has a bit of a hitch in his swing, but if he can adjust to the pro game, he’ll have a chance to make an impact. Reuter

There are more reports out there and I do not choose to post them all or necessarily give the notion that I am calling these fine gents out for reporting these concerns with the benefit of hindsight.  No that is not the purpose here.  The above quotes are just a means to shed light that there were/are concerns in scouting circles about Bichette’ swing.  Having seen Bichette play extensively when he arrived to Dunedin, the purpose of this analysis to quell some the concern about Bichette’s “hitch”, “wrap” or “load” in his swing.

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In this picture, notice the perceived “wrap”.  Bichette’s leg kick generates a lot of torque through his core.  He does wrap the bat behind his head but the wrap is not initiated by his hands.  It is initiated by his trunk rotation.  There are two very important take aways. The front shoulder and hip remain closed allowing Bichette to generate power through his lower half while keeping his hands back.  Second, notice his top hand.  In the photo, you do not see the back of his hand.  In the cases of players that get themselves in trouble with excessive bat wrap, the top hand tends to flex at the wrist during the load phase, which lengthens the swing and slows the bat down, leading to weak pull side groundballs and pop ups.  Jason Heyward is the perfect example of this.  No matter how much he changes his stance, he flexes his top wrist or wraps his top hand .

World Series - Cleveland Indians v Chicago Cubs - Game Four
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Below is a video of Bichette’s homerun against Clearwater.  You can see how he keeps his hands back and inside of the ball and is able to generate enough power and torque through his strong front side to drive this ball to RCF.

 

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Here is a clearer image of Bichette’s 2 strike approach

It is my opinion that Bichette’s bat is so quick through the zone that his increased load allows him to remain on his back leg long enough to recognize the pitch and then use his hips and hands to attack.

 


Article featured image of Bo Bichette – courtesy Jason Woodell (@JasonAtTheGame)

Jason Woodell has written about prospects for numerous sites. He got his start with Prospects1500 and has provided reports on prospects for Baseball Prospectus, 2080 Baseball, and Pinstriped Prospects. Jason is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and former model in Jordan. He lives in Tampa, likes dogs, craft beer, and his wife…not necessarily in that order.
Follow him on Twitter @JasonAtTheGame.




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