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Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette is doing something that no one else is doing this year. He's leading the league in foul balls. Thus far, he's fouled off 233 pitches, more than anyone else. Last year, he was first in baseball with 587 foul balls. The year prior, he was first once again with 664 fouls.
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If he maintains the pace, he'll lead the league three times in a row in that category, which is just absurd. While this stat doesn't necessarily impact his bottom line, it can have an effect on the game.
For example, the inability to put Bichette away has often led pitchers to throw more pitches to him. The more they throw, the more taxed they become. Over the course of a game, it adds up and can potentially change things.
It can also be frustrating for a pitcher, though that's not a quantifiable stat. MLB fans are split on whether or not it's a good thing that the Blue Jays shortstop somehow possesses an innate ability to foul pitches off.
Some say it'd be better for him to not swing at poor pitches at all rather than swing and foul them off.
For context, Bichette does boast a 15% strikeout rate this year, which is well below the league average. On the other hand, he also boasts a well-below-league-average walk percentage of 4.9%.
Bo Bichette's unique approach at the plate
On one side of the argument, it's always good to have a high walk percentage. Walks are killer for pitchers and they lead to more batters faced. Many times, a player will draw a two-out walk and then get driven in the next at bat.
However, it's also a good thing to be able to stay alive. If a pitcher is consistently making good pitches only to be met with foul balls and has to continue doing it, the odds of a mistake pitch go up.
Bo Bichette has a unique skill set that works for him and has him as one of the most frustrating hitters in the league for opposing pitchers to face.
