Bichette begins redemption tour by cracking go-ahead RBI single

ST. LOUIS -- Way back in January, at his introductory press conference, Bo Bichette was asked about the unique challenges of playing in New York.

“I don’t think anything can prepare you for New York,” Bichette responded. “I’m not unaware that New York is a challenge. I’m not shying away from it. I’m ready for it, and I’m excited for it. These fans hold you accountable, and I think as a player wanting to be your best self, that’s only a positive.”

Flash forward two and a half months, to the third game of the season, and already Bichette was hearing boos at Citi Field. He responded the best way he knew how: by heaping all the blame on himself, by respecting the fan base’s right to jeer and by vowing to be better.

It’s hard enough to carry that sort of grace off the field, harder still to turn things around so quickly on it. One day after making those comments, Bichette smacked a go-ahead, RBI single Monday night at Busch Stadium, leading the Mets to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals.

“As a competitor, I expect to be in a good place all the time,” Bichette said. “I don’t know if that’s a sign of anything. Honestly, I just want to be in a position to compete every at-bat, and I felt like I did a better job of that today.”

Both teams scored in the first inning before starting pitchers Clay Holmes and Kyle Leahy settled into grooves. The Mets didn’t break through again until the fifth, when Carson Benge led off with a single and Francisco Lindor walked. Two batters later, Bichette lined a 106.8 mph single the other way, nearly falling over from the effort of his swing.

Bichette came close to adding another significant hit in the sixth, when he smoked a 99.1 mph bases-loaded liner into Jordan Walker’s glove. He finished 1-for-5 with two RBIs and no strikeouts, after going 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts in the Mets’ season-opening series against the Pirates.

“I’m not surprised,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought he was more under control, not trying to do too much. Even the one that he lined out to right field, that was a pretty good at-bat, too. That’s good to see. When he’s doing that, those are some good signs.”

The fact that Bichette’s miniature skid didn’t deepen came as little surprise to anyone familiar with his game. A two-time All-Star, Bichette joined the Mets on a three-year, $126 million contract in part because he’s as slump-proof as any hitter in baseball. His bat-to-ball skills are elite. Last year, Bichette finished second to Aaron Judge in the Major Leagues in batting average. He rated in the 98th percentile in expected batting average and in the top fifth in the league in both strikeout percentage and whiff percentage.

“He’s a smart hitter,” said Holmes, who faced Bichette for years in the AL East before becoming his teammate. “You kind of knew that facing him. But being around him, hearing him talk, he has a really good idea of just who he is and what he can do and who he’s facing. When he’s going well, he covers so much.”

So elite is Bichette, in fact, that last weekend marked the first time in his career he had struck out eight times over a three-game stretch. When it happened, fans let him hear it -- scattered boos at first, then louder and more intense jeers as the weekend wore on. But Bichette did not offer any hint of bitterness after that game, instead responding to the boos by saying: “If anything, I thought it took too long.”

“Total pro -- I wasn’t surprised by it,” Mendoza said of Bichette’s comments. “This is a guy that grew up in the game. He understands the meaning of every pitch, every at-bat, every game. He understands the stage. When he signed up here, he knew right away what he was signed up for. He was like, ‘I love it. I can’t wait.’”

To earn the respect of a new fan base, Bichette understood, he needed to produce. Patience may be a virtue elsewhere, but not in New York. Only production matters.

In addition to his go-ahead single on Monday, Bichette collected an RBI on a first-inning groundout that would have been an out at home had JJ Wetherholt made a clean transfer. Alas, after last weekend, Bichette perhaps deserved a bit of luck.

“I felt in a better place today, in a place to compete,” Bichette said. “I still need to get better and do a better job, but I felt more like myself today.”