Bo Bichette's tenure with the New York Mets is off to a slow start, and in typical Big Apple fashion, the fans are letting him hear about it.
Amidst an 0-for-5 performance on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bichette was treated to a smattering of boos from the home crowd at Citi Field following a strikeout in the bottom of the seventh.
It built on a quiet three games for Bichette, who picked up just one hit in 14 at-bats while striking out eight times in his first series as a Met.
But when asked about the boos coming so early, the former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop said they might not have come soon enough.
"If anything, I thought it took too long," Bichette told reporters post-game. "I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too."
After spending the first seven seasons of his career in Toronto, Bichette landed a three-year, $126-million contract with the Mets this off-season. And with the new city came a new position, new expectations and new fans to win over.
Bichette said he didn't anticipate feeling the need to make a great first impression when the season began, but admitted Sunday that the thought has crept in since taking the field with his new team.
"I definitely felt that, wanting to have a moment," he said. "Not only for my teammates, but for the fans and everything. So, that's something I have to manage."
The 28-year-old has had two chances for one of those big moments in extra innings so far. He came to the plate as the winning run in the bottom of the 10th innings on both Saturday and Sunday, but failed to pick up a hit either time.
"Sometimes (I'm) in-between, sometimes trying to do too much," Bichette said of how he feels in the box. "That's pretty much what happens when you don't feel good."
Despite the two-time all-star's struggles, the Mets emerged from their opening series with a 2-1 record. Bichette's lone hit against Pittsburgh came on a single in the fourth inning of Saturday's 4-2 win.
Bichette will now get a short reprieve from the fans in Queens, as the Mets head out for a six-game road trip, with stops in St. Louis and San Francisco, before returning home on April 7.
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