Jays shortstop Bo Bichette wins his first AL player of the week award

Bo Bichette’s incredible start to the month of September earned the Blue Jays shortstop his first American League player of the week nod, making him the third Jays player to win the honour this season.

The 24-year-old batted .500 over seven games last week with four doubles, a triple and five home runs. He scored 11 runs and drove in 13. The week included his first career three-homer game, the nightcap of the Jays’ Sept. 5 doubleheader in Baltimore. Bichette also had three hits in the first game, becoming the first AL shortstop with at least six hits and three home runs in a single day.

“It’s pretty cool to have that kind of week,” Bichette said before Monday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.. But I have to keep moving forward and keep competing … Every game from here on out is a big one. We need every win we can get so we just continue coming to the field and competing the best we can and leaving it all out there. Whatever happens happens, but I like our chances.”

Their chances were greatly improved as Bichette’s hot streak propelled the Jays to an 8-2 road trip to start September. His 18 runs batted in set a major-league record for the most RBIs by a shortstop on a single road trip of no more than 10 games.

There are some qualifiers in there, sure, but it doesn’t take away from the incredible roll the Jays’ No. 3 hitter is on.

“It’s kind of remarkable,” said interim manager John Schneider, who managed Bichette when he was a 19-year-old with the Dunedin Blue Jays. “We were all shaking our heads, starting in that doubleheader in Baltimore. It’s the kind of hitter that he is, that he can be, and I think he’s locked in right now: not missing pitches, taking pitches. His plan is great, his execution is better.”

Kevin Gausman won the player of the week award in the first week of August after throwing 14 shutout innings over two starts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was honoured after hitting .407 with three home runs the week of June 13-19.

Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast “Deep Left Field.” Follow him on Twitter: @wilnerness

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