The latest rising star out of the Toronto Blue Jays nest of talent is another former MLB great’s son, Cavan Biggio. Son of former Houston Astros catcher, second baseman, and outfielder Craig Biggio, Cavan Biggio joins an elite group of young talent on the Blue Jays roster. The Blue Jays have a nice stash of talent that they are going to be able to build around in the coming years and Biggio only adds to the plethora of players they have.
Biggio is a second baseman, just as his father once was, who could play some shortstop. With other Blue Jays rising star, Bo Bichette at shortstop there’s no need for that, so Biggio finds his home at second base. The Blue Jays selected Biggio in the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft in the fifth round out of the University of Notre Dame. Biggio was also drafted out of high school in 2013 by the Philadelphia Phillies but opted to go to school and play college baseball for Notre Dame.
On the scales, Biggio weighs in at 200-pounds and stands 6-foot-2 for the Blue Jays where he patrols the middle infield alongside Bichette. Biggio is currently twenty-four years old and looking to become a mainstay for the Blue Jays everyday lineup.
In 2019, Biggio has appeared in 81 games for the Blue Jays, posting a .212/.343/.385 slash line. He also has belted 12 home runs and posted 35 RBI with a .728 OPS for the rebuilding Blue Jays who are in one of baseball’s toughest divisions this season. Having to play the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays nineteen times a year while in a rebuild will force these youngsters to adapt and get used to major league talent, quickly.
Being labeled as a second baseman is not entirely accurate for Biggio who has appeared in at least five or more games at all of the following positions:
- Second Base (66)
- Right Field (8)
- First Base (7)
Biggio is no Marwin Gonzalez or Jeff McNeil, but he shows signs that he could be moved around if the need arises. The majority of his time was at second base, but in a pinch, he could become a utility player. For the time being, his home position is going to remain second base but could a trade or free-agent signing prompt a position change in the future? Only time will tell for Biggio.
Taking a look at Biggio’s journey up to the big leagues, starting back in 2016, after being selected by the Blue Jays out of Notre Dame he was sent to Single-A ball. Biggio made appearances for the Low-A Vancouver affiliate where he spent 53 games, hitting .282 before being promoted. He spent only nine games with the Single-A Lansing affiliate hitting .222 which is not necessarily an accurate measurement of his performance through only nine games.
In 2017, Biggio’s season was with only one team, the High-A Dunedin affiliate where he played in 127 games. His slash line with High-A Dunedin was .233/.342/.363 with 11 home runs and 60 RBI throughout the season. The following year he would make the jump to Double-A New Hampshire where he appeared in 132 games. With Double-A New Hampshire, Biggio produced a .252/.388/.499 slash with 26 home runs and 99 RBI.
Attention started to rise on Biggio while he was with Double-A New Hampshire, there was always some buzz around him, but with rising star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also playing alongside him at one point, there was more attention on the team. In 2019, Biggio has seen some time with the Triple-A club, but the majority of his playing time has come up with the big league Blue Jays.
Looking at Biggio, one of the things he has done well throughout his journey to the big leagues and continued into his time with the Blue Jays is his ability to make adjustments. Great hitters are big-time adjustment makers, and Biggio has gotten better at noticing when changes need to be made. For example, Biggio has done a great job becoming a more aggressive hitter in the MLB rather than being patient and taking good pitches.
Essentially, Biggio has become more aggressive rather than being more selective, in turn, he made an adjustment to improve his skillset and ability, which one of the reasons he will be a rising star in the MLB. Being able to make adjustments and notice things within your own game (being too selective in the box) are things that will make him a great hitter as he continues to develop at the major league level.
