'He's there for me': Dad's presence a spring luxury for Bo Bichette

DUNEDIN, Fla. - When Bo Bichette was scuffling last season in Double-A, an inhospitable place for any 20-year-old, he called his old man.

To that point in his career, struggle was foreign to Bichette. The much-hyped Toronto Blue Jays prospect had breezed through the lower levels of the minor leagues, but he needed more than the perfunctory vote of confidence his decorated dad - mindful not to overstep - would customarily offer.

The next day, Dante Bichette, the four-time All-Star who walloped 274 home runs over his 14-year big-league career, hopped on a plane to go counsel his son.

"He was there for me," the Bichette progeny told theScore. "He told me everything he thought I needed to know, even if I didn't agree with it. But I asked so I had to take it. But, no, he's there for me whenever I need it, and gives me advice whenever I need it."

Now, with Bo navigating his first big-league spring training, Dante's supporting him once again. And on a semi-daily basis, too.

Four years ago, the Bichette family moved from Orlando to the St. Petersburg area, making the daily commute to Dunedin, the Blue Jays' spring home - 25 minutes, maybe, each way. And through the nascent stages of the Grapefruit League season, Dante's made a point of being there, in the flesh, for his youngest son.

“He’s been to every game so far I’ve been in in spring training," Bichette noted. "... He normally just tells me, 'Hey, good job today. You looked good.' And if I ask him for advice, he gives me the advice that he wants to give me. But he’s pretty good at holding off and letting me kind of do my own thing until I ask for help."

Five games hardly constitute a sample, but Bichette hasn't needed any help so far this spring, collecting three hits and a walk in nine plate appearances (.444 OBP), albeit with four strikeouts. And given his track record, the former 2016 second-round pick may well make it through camp without ever soliciting any pointers from his dad.

Bichette hasn't looked out of place at any level throughout his professional career despite consistently being among the youngest players in his league. After slashing .362/.423/.565 over 110 games between Low-A and High-A in 2017, Bichette managed a .796 OPS with 11 home runs, 43 doubles, and 32 stolen bases for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last year. He was also the only qualified hitter in the Eastern League who couldn't legally purchase alcohol for the entire season.

Baseball America recently tabbed Bichette as the game's eighth-best prospect, and none of the canonical prospect rankings had him lower than 12th.

"Bichette combines elite bat speed and hand/eye to produce a laser show only matched by Pink Floyd Night at your local Planetarium," Baseball Prospectus rhapsodized in November, and while it's not a foregone conclusion he sticks at shortstop long term, "there’s All-Star upside in the profile if Bichette continues to rake in the majors."

All that success, coupled with his big-time pedigree, contributes to a healthy hubris that's already endeared Bichette to his - and the Blue Jays' - new manager, Charlie Montoyo. Or rather his future manager. Bichette, after all, has yet to play a game in Triple-A and understands he's destined to at least start the 2019 season in the minors. But he conducts himself as if he were in earnest competition for a spot in Toronto's Opening Day infield, which will likely feature either Lourdes Gurriel Jr. or Freddy Galvis at shortstop, Gurriel or Devon Travis at second base, Brandon Drury at third base, and Justin Smoak at first.

"That’s what I like about that kid," Montoyo said. “When we met with him, he said, 'I’m competing for a job.' So he’s not thinking that way. And that’s another kid that I love watching play."

Added Bichette: "My goal here, to try and keep myself motivated, is to make the team. I understand the probability of that isn’t very high. But for me, (the approach is) just to go out there, compete, and try and impress the coaches, impress my teammates, and be a good teammate."

And should he require any pointers along the way, Dante is happy to provide, be it at the ballpark or from the comfort of home.

If not, it's still just nice to see his dad - his "biggest believer," as he once put it, who "pulls for (him) more than anyone" - up in the stands when he jogs out to his position or walks to the plate.

"It means a lot," Bichette said, adding that his mother, Mariana, has been just as generous with her support. “I think it’s been a big reason (for) my success so far. No doubt."

Jonah Birenbaum is theScore's senior MLB writer. He steams a good ham. You can find him on Twitter @birenball.