Hall of Famer's son making a name for himself in Jays' system

Toronto Blue Jays prospect Cavan Biggio practices at the Bobby Mattick Training Center in Dunedin, Fla. Photo Credit: Ryan Cuneo

By Ryan Cuneo

Canadian Baseball Network

DUNEDIN, Fla. – It might surprise you who the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio loved watching most growing up.

Toronto Blue Jays prospect Cavan Biggio was a big fan of his dad, naturally, but his favourite happened to be another Astros legend.

“This is going to sound pretty corny, but I always loved watching Jeff Bagwell play,” Biggio said Thursday at the Blue Jays’ spring training facility.

“Growing up, my dad was considered to be a leadoff guy to get on base and score, and I always wanted to hit home runs. Obviously, Bagwell was that guy who did that for the Astros, so I used to love watching Jeff hit.”

Biggio may have aspired to be a big bopper in his childhood, but he’s developing into a player more like, well, his dad.

The Blue Jays' 2016 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame has earned praise in scouting circles for his polished, high-contact hitting and solid defence at second base, traits that led his father Craig to seven All-Star appearances over his 20-year career.

Cavan thinks with continued improvement he can achieve a similar level of success.

“He was a great player. He played four different positions at a very high level. He was a very good athlete and very good hitter,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be just as good as him one day.”

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Cavan is bigger than his old man, so he projects to hit for a bit more power. Going back to his high school days he’s been known for his ability to generate solid contact to all fields, but he believes a newfound stability in his approach at the plate will improve his offence even more and help him move up in the Blue Jays’ system.

“Last year I was trying out a lot of things and it kind of got me out of rhythm a little bit,” he said. “This offseason I worked really hard on finding a consistent base and foundation for my swing so I can make adjustments easier in the season. I think that’s very important for me this year and moving forward.”

Cavan Biggio grew up rooting for the Houston Astros and enjoyed seeing them win the World Series last year. Ask him these days if he’s still an Astros fan, though, and it’s pretty apparent he knows where his allegiances lie.

“I was, not anymore,” he said.

He’s a Blue Jays guy now, and he thinks he can be part of a bright future for the team.

“It’s exciting. We’ve got a lot of great talent and a lot of great people in the organization,” Cavan said. “I think the Toronto Blue Jays fans and team in general have a lot to look forward to.”