Chris Bassitt
Player Data: 33 (2/22/1989), B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 30 GS, 19 QS, 15-9, 181 2/3 IP, 3.42 ERA, 167 SO, 49 BB, 1.145 WHIP
Advanced Stats: 3.66 FIP, 113 ERA+, 3.2 bWAR, 7.9 H/9, 8.3 SO/9, 49.1 GB%, 85.3 EV
Salary: $8.8 million
Grade: B
2022 Review
Chris Bassitt was the final piece of Billy Eppler’s incredible 2021-2022 offseason. He found success in his last two years with Oakland, making his first all-star appearance and finishing top-ten in the Cy Young ballot. Most importantly, Bassitt had a reputation for being durable and joined a Mets starting rotation that had only two pitchers that finished with 100-plus innings in 2021.
Bassitt’s durability wound up playing an important role in the 2022 season. The Mets faced a multitude of injuries to their starting rotation throughout the 2022 season, which included Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. Bassitt, however, avoided the IL the entire season and was a bulldog for the team. He was the only Mets pitcher to start 30 games and record over 160 innings. Bassitt was effective as well, recording 19 quality starts and a 3.42 ERA in 181 2/3 innings.
What made Bassitt’s numbers all the more impressive lies in his pitching style. He resembles the era of pitchers from decades ago, who attacked the strike zone and got outs from weak contact. In 2022, opposing batters had an average exit velocity of 85.3 mph against Bassitt, which was the lowest in his career and ranked him in the 95th percentile in MLB.
The low exit velocity against Bassitt was due to his repertoire of pitches. In 2022, he threw six different pitches along with multiple versions of certain pitches. The best pitch that Bassitt featured, however, was his 72 mph curveball. Batters slashed .156/.181/.195 against Bassitt’s curveball and did not hit a home run against it. Shockingly, Bassitt recorded great numbers with his curveball despite being in the 29th percentile in curveball spin.
While Bassitt was more than reliable for the majority of the 2022 season, he unceremoniously fell apart in his last two starts. During his last start in the regular season, with the NL East on the line, Bassitt allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings to the Braves. Then, in the decisive game three of the NL Wildcard Series, he allowed three earned runs to the Padres in four innings, as the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs.
Outside of his numbers, Bassitt was a phenomenal addition to the clubhouse. He quickly built a strong relationship with deGrom and Scherzer, who would discuss the outcome of their starts immediately after it was finished. Bassitt also defended his team, who was plunked the most in MLB history in 2022, by bringing attention to the slick baseballs.
2023 Outlook
Bassitt declined his $19 million mutual option to return to the Mets and received a $150,000 buyout. He will be 34 to start the 2023 season.
Due to the various holes that the Mets have in their rotation entering 2023, Bassitt has been linked to his former club. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Mets are “hopeful for a return” of the former Athletic. Passan also reported that Bassitt is likely to sign with an organization during the Winter Meetings. Along with the Mets, Bassitt has been linked to the Phillies, Giants, Orioles, and Rangers.
Bassitt is likely to receive a substantially sized contract this off-season. Since 2019, Bassitt has started 93 games, pitched to a 3.31 ERA, and recorded a 123 ERA+. According to Sportrac.com, Bassitt’s contract value is three years, $63.12 million.
