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Bo Bichette is the new leadoff hitter for the Mets.

New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette reacted to his strong showing since being moved into the leadoff spot for the team.

Bichette and the Mets snapped a 12-game losing skid on Wednesday when they beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2. They then won the rubber match on Thursday, 10-8, after a wild rollercoaster of a game that saw Bichette smash a clutch double in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the lead after the Twins tied it up in the top of the inning following a grand slam from catcher Ryan Jeffers.

Since moving Bichette to the leadoff spot on Wednesday, the Mets are 2-0, and Bichette himself is 4-9 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and a stolen base. The decision to move Bichette to the leadoff spot appears to have been a smart one for Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, whose job has come under scrutiny during the Mets’ recent losing skid.

Speaking to reporters following the game, Bichette was asked whether or not he feels like batting leadoff is why he has shown such massive improvements in his game as of late.

“Yeah, I don’t know if it has anything to do with that. Today I felt good, so regardless of where I’m hitting in the lineup, I’m just going to try to keep that going,” Bichette said.

Bo Bichette Needs to be Better for the Mets

Bichette has had a rough start to his Mets career, no doubt about it. Through his first 25 games with the team, he is batting just .238 with a poor .585 OPS. His wRC+ is 66, which means his bat has been 34% below league average so far. It’s still early, but this has been a tough start for Bichette’s career with the Mets after signing a huge contract with the team during the offseason.

After seven years with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette became a free agent for the first time in his MLB career, and he signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets in free agency. As part of the contract, Bichette can opt out after the first year of the deal and collect a $5 million buyout while heading back to free agency next offseason.

Heading into the year, it seemed like a lock that Bichette would take the buyout and hit the open market again after the season. But due to his poor start to the year, Bichette may decide to pick up his player option for $42 million instead and lock in the guaranteed money. There is still plenty of time for Bichette to turn his season around, however, and perhaps this move to leadoff is just what the doctor ordered.

Mets Showing Signs of Life

After an ugly 12-game losing skid that saw the New York media heavily criticize the team, the Mets have won their last two games in a row and are finally showing signs of life. In fact, the Mets are no longer in last place in the National League East, as the Philadelphia Phillies have an even worse record.

For the Mets, this recent win streak has given the fans and organization the spark they need to believe this is still a quality team that can make a playoff run. There is too much talent on this squad to be one of the worst teams in the league, and with Bichette excelling at leadoff, perhaps the Mets will get on a roll and make a legitimate playoff push as the season moves forward.