Former Akron pitcher Chris Bassitt continues to be successful with the Blue Jays
CLEVELAND – Former University of Akron baseball player Chris Bassitt is happy and healthy in his role as one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ top starting pitchers.
Bassitt, 35, is in his 10th season in Major League Baseball and shows no signs of slowing down. A pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, he was selected as an American League All-Star in 2021 and finished in the top 10 for the AL Cy Young Award in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
Bassitt sat down for an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal in the Blue Jays dugout on Friday before a three-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Bassitt, a native of Curtice, Ohio, about 35 minutes east of Toledo, reflected on his time as a member of the University of Akron baseball team, his experiences in the MLB and his family.
When asked 20 years ago, when he was 15, if he ever thought he would be in this position, Bassitt said, “No. No. I almost never thought that. No. If you had told me when I was younger, ‘Hey, you’re going to play 10 years in the major leagues,’ I would have said, ‘No way.'”
One of Bassitt’s first big breaks came after his redshirt sophomore year at Akron in the Coastal Plains League, a collegiate summer ball league.
“I played really well there (with the Edenton Steamers in North Carolina), and that’s a really good league with a lot of really good talent,” Bassitt said. “It’s very similar to the Cape (Cod League). I went there and played well and thought, ‘Okay, I can go pro.’
“I did well in the minor leagues, and then when I got to Double-A and did really well there, I thought I had a real chance to make the major leagues. I never sat in Akron and thought, ‘I’m definitely going to be in the major leagues.'”
Bassitt entered this week with a 6-6 record and a 3.52 ERA in 15 starts for a Blue Jays team that is struggling offensively. He has 81 strikeouts, allowed 85 hits and 34 walks, and struck out six batters in 84⅓ innings.
Bassitt pitched six solid innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 18 and was a spectator at the three-game series in Cleveland, which the Guardians won with a clear victory and thus remained at the top of the AL Central Division.
“Obviously I wish I could pitch here (in the three-game series) since it’s so close to home, but it didn’t work out,” Bassitt said. “Overall, I would say the most important thing is health. I feel really good health-wise. I feel strong. I would say that’s the most important thing. I pretty much know that as long as I’m healthy, whatever that may be, I’m going to put up good numbers.”
“I’m constantly worried about my body. I understand that I’m a little older, but I feel really good for my age.”
Bassitt has been one of the best starting pitchers in MLB since 2019 with the Athletics, New York Mets and Blue Jays.
“I love the guy,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday. “Just a pro. Takes the ball. Last year he pitched 200 innings, in today’s game he’s kind of an outlier. He’s evolving with the game. He understands what the hitters are doing. He understands what his stuff does. Doesn’t try to overdo it. He has the ability to throw eight pitches.”
“He’s great in the locker room. He’s a leader, which is hard when you’re a pitcher because you don’t play every day, but he’s a big voice in the locker room. He’s been absolutely great.”
Bassitt and his younger brother Matt were introduced to the sport by their parents, John and Dawn Bassitt. Chris played football, basketball and baseball in high school and graduated from Genoa Area in 2007.
Bassitt pitched for the Zips in 2009, 2010 and 2011 under former manager Pat Bangtson. The Chicago White Sox selected Bassitt in the 16th round on June 7, 2011, and he signed two days later.
Bassitt made his MLB debut with the White Sox on August 30, 2014. Four months later, he was traded to Oakland and pitched in parts of six seasons with the Athletics before being traded to the Mets on March 12, 2022.
In his final three seasons with the A’s, Bassitt achieved:
- 10-5 in 25 starts with a 3.81 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 144 innings in 2019.
- 5-2 in 11 starts with a 2.29 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 63 innings in the shortened 2020 season.
- 12-4 in 27 starts with a 3.15 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 157⅓ innings in 2021.
In his only season with the Mets in 2022, Bassitt posted a record of 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 181⅔ innings in 30 starts.
Bassitt signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Blue Jays on December 16, 2022 and posted a strong season in 2023 with a 16-8 record, a 3.60 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 200 innings. He led the AL in wins and starts (33).
“Every team is different,” Bassitt said. “It’s a blessing to be here. I’m lucky that this is my second year with Toronto. I commuted from Oakland to the Mets and then here for three years. It’s nice to be somewhere and know every single person. Changing teams is fun and exciting, but it’s also very nice to start a new year and not have to remember names.
“…I’m constantly trying to grow and become a better person, a better father, a better husband. I would say priorities are constantly changing. I stay home a lot more. I have a lot more fun with family, hanging out at home or going to parks and stuff like that. The work is a lot of fun. Of course, it’s a blessing to do this job, but my family is everything. I enjoy being around them.”
Bassitt and his wife Jessica have two children, Landry (4) and Colson (1).
“I got to know him really quickly,” Schneider said. “I understand him and his family, his wife and what he’s like as a father and a husband. I have great conversations with him about baseball and life. He’s really on top of what’s going on in the game and I’m thankful we have him.”
Bassitt said he continues to follow the Akron baseball team’s activities, but none of the coaches he played for are still with the program.
“Everyone I played with there is gone,” Bassitt said. “Some of the guys I played with there are now coaching colleges elsewhere, so I follow them a lot more than Akron. This is by no means a knock on Akron – I still follow them to some extent – but I have a lot more affection for my friends and the places they coach.”
Bassitt cheered for Cleveland’s professional sports teams as a child and enjoyed watching the 1995 and 1997 World Series teams.
When asked who his favorite Cleveland baseball players were, Bassitt said, “All of them. Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar and Omar Vizquel. Of course, I also watched CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. I liked Scott Kazmir back then, too. It was a great brand of baseball and easy to root for them.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ..
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