Opening Day weekend might not have gone as Philadelphia Phillies fans had hoped, with the team dropping the final two games against the Texas Rangers to start the season 1-2. With that said, if there's something they can take solace in, it is Bo Bichette's misery.
After making his demands for a long-term $200 million contract very clear, Bichette played footsies with the Phillies throughout the heart of the winter. Despite Philadelphia offering up everything he wanted, the star infielder decided out of the blue to take less total money and decidedly less security from the rival New York Mets.
If his performance to kick off 2026 is any indication, the Phillies are happy they avoided the numerous nagging downsides of signing him. As for Mets fans? Well, they weren't so pleased with their prized acquisition's showing, as the boo birds came out in force at Citi Field.
Bo Bichette's reaction to Mets failure will make Phillies fans laugh
Bichette is off to a 1-for-14 start to his year, with no walks and a whopping eight strikeouts. Supposedly one of the best contact hitters in the game, he's currently striking out 53.3% of the time after going down via the K at a minuscule 14.5% clip last season.
When asked about the boos, Bichette took it in stride, saying, "If anything, I thought it took too long. I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too." We'll see how long he's able to shrug it off if his slow start continues.
Bo Bichette was asked if the boos at Citi Field caught him off-guard at all:
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 29, 2026
"If anything, I thought it took too long. I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too." pic.twitter.com/zmZRZtMreR
Philly fans, of course, have the reputation for being ruthless, and it certainly isn't an exaggeration. There is a difference between fans in Philadelphia and those up in New York, though. The denizens of the City of Brotherly Love are loyal. Perform, and they'll love you forever. Over in the Big Apple, that's not the case.
Mets fans booed Juan Soto just two months into his record-setting contract last year. Yankees fans (different franchise, same ruthless attitude) even booed Aaron Judge, the undisputed best hitter in the game today, in a spring training game this year. Absolutely wild.
Bichette's still a very talented hitter, and firmly in his prime, so there's every reason to expect the horrendous opening series to be nothing but a blip on the radar. But slow starts happen, and not every player can handle being hounded by the fans day in and day out. He might very well find out he doesn't have the stomach for New York and opt out at the end of the season, posting a down year in the process.
Should that happen, he'd hit the market again this offseason with subpar performances two out of the last few years on his resume. Ouch. We'll wait and see what happens, but Bichette definitely learned the hard way that he's not in Canada anymore, eh.