What Bo Bichette said about his first game back in Toronto

Former Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette returned to the Rogers Centre on Monday night for the first time since leaving the ball club for the New York Mets.

And the reception he received was warmer than he had even expected.

As Bichette walked to the plate for his first at-bat, Blue Jays fans rose to their feet to give the 28-year-old a standing ovation.

To make the moment even more wholesome, Bichette's longtime friend and former teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. motioned for him to acknowledge the crowd by tipping his cap.

Bo Bichette gets a huge ovation from the Blue Jays crowd in his return to Toronto

Vladdy made sure Bo tipped his cap 😂 pic.twitter.com/cmibnsR448

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 29, 2026

After the game, Bichette admitted the night gave him a little bit of closure.

"It's nice to know you meant a lot to people," Bichette said. "The city meant a lot to me. I spent a lot of years here. I grew up here, though I've moved on."

Before the game, Bichette fought back tears while speaking with reporters in the New York Mets dugout about his time as a Blue Jay.

"I gave it everything I had... So I just hope that's appreciated," said Bichette.

Bichette spent seven seasons with the Blue Jays before departing after last year's World Series run, signing a three-year, $126-million contract with the Mets in free agency.

The homecoming didn't help at the plate. Bichette went 0-for-4 as the Mets lost 2-1 to Toronto.

"Nice to know you meant a lot to people."

Bo Bichette on the reception he received in his first game back in Toronto 💙 pic.twitter.com/Q00yuBrSTY

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 30, 2026

Bichette admitted returning to Rogers Centre wearing another uniform felt different, but said he's looking forward to the rest of the three-game series against his former team.

It's been a slower start offensively for Bichette this 2026 season, hitting 10 home runs with 46 RBIs through 85 games. Meanwhile, his counterpart in Toronto, Kazuma Okamoto, has been slugging it, hitting a team-leading 19 home runs and 53 RBIs.