The Toronto Blue Jays have been perhaps the story of the summer in Canadian sports.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve skyrocketed to the top of the American League East and remain in the mix for one of the best records in baseball.<\/p>\n
One of the key cogs in the machine has been star shortstop Bo Bichette, who\u2019s putting up a\u00a0 .299 batting average with 141 hits, 15 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 55 runs scored in 111 games this season.<\/p>\n
Though Bichette has long frustrated some Blue Jays fans for his aggressive approach at the plate \u2014 his 623 career strikeouts are already top-15 all-time in the Toronto record books \u2014 it\u2019s helped him become one of the best players in baseball at getting on base.<\/p>\n
And after a six-hit game on Monday, Bichette\u2019s 141 hits are 11 more than\u00a0any player in the major leagues right now, ahead of Manny Machado\u2019s 130 and Aaron Judge\u2019s 129.<\/p>\n
Health has played a key factor in Bichette soaring to the top of the list, as he\u2019s played eight games more than Judge, who is just coming off the injured list on Tuesday. Only 30 players league-wide have played as many as Bichette\u2019s 111 games, with none having more than his 471 at-bats as well. As a consistent leadoff hitter for the Blue Jays over the years, it\u2019s hard to ask for much more from Bichette this season.<\/p>\n
What does Bichette\u2019s future look like with the Blue Jays?<\/p>\n
Bichette, who is a potential free agent this winter, opened up recently about his thoughts on sticking around long-term in Toronto<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy priorities have always been to win, to be part of an organization that has that same goal in mind, and I want to play in an exciting environment. We\u2019re checking all those boxes,\u201d Bichette said last week, per MLB.com\u2019s Keegan Matheson<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a special time right now, and the fans are definitely making their case known.\u201d<\/p>\n