The Season That Was: Chris Bassitt

A look at Chris Bassitt’s 2023 season.

Chris Bassitt was a big free-agent signing, getting a 3-year, $63 million contract in December 2022.

2023 was his tenth season in the MLB (he has just over seven years of service time). He didn’t make it to the MLB until he was 25 and pitched in only 40 MLB games before his age 30 season.

Since 30, he’s been a full-time rotation member.

His first season with the Jays, he was very good, with a 16-8 record (tied for the league lead in wins) and a 3.60 ERA in 33 starts and was one of two AL starters to reach 200 innings. This season wasn’t as good:

Baseball Reference has Chris at a -0.1 WAR and FanGraphs at 2.2, giving him a value of $17.5 million for the Jays. That’s a rather large difference.

He had a 4.08 FIP and a 4.28 xFIP.

Chris’s BABIP was .333, up from his .274 of last year. 72.7% of baserunners were stranded, up from the 76.5 of last year.

His line drive rate was down (20.6%, from 24.2), ground ball rate was down (40.3%, from 42.3), and fly ball rate was up (36.2%, from 35.5).

His strikeout rate was about the same as last year’s (21.9%, from 22.2), and his walk rate was up (7.6%, from 9.2).

Bassitt’s soft contact up (18.2%, from 17.7), and hard contact down (30.0%, from 33.3).

Left-handed hitters (.305/.392/.485) hit him much better than right-handers (.234/.310/.309). Last year, he had a large split, too. They are going to have to figure something out.

Bassitt was worse at home (4.56 ERA, batters hit ..273/.359/.418) than on the road (3.58, batters hit .266/.342/.367). Last year he was much better at home

And his first half (3.52, .263/.345/.350) was better than his second half (5.23, .281/.363/.474). Last year he was better in the second half

Bassitt by month:

• April: 6 starts, 2-4, 5.64. Batters hit.320/.407/.475 with 6 home runs.
• May: 5 starts, 3-2, 2.40. Batters hit .202/.267/.275 with 1 home run.
• June: 6 starts, 2-0, 1.95. Batters hit .250/.327/.307 with 1 home run.
• July: 5 starts, 1-4, 7.01. Batters hit .315/.393/.472 with 4 home runs.
• August: 5 starts, 1-3, 5.34. Batters hit .234/.311/.411 with 4 home runs.
• September: 4 starts, 1-1, 3.26. Batters hit .309/.414/.482 with 3 home runs.

May and June were terrific, July and August were terrible.

The Jays were 11-20 in his starts. The team averaged 4.15 runs per start in his games. They scored 3 or fewer runs in 15 of his starts, shutout in 3.

Days of rest:

• 4 days, 12 games: 4.52, .297/.368/.402.
• 5 days, 12 games: 3.90, 267/.361/.416.
• 6 or more days, 7 games: 4.02, .229/.310/.360.

Times through the order:

• 1st: Batters hit .256/.355/.382.
• 2nd: Batters hit .262/.336/.395.
• 3rd: Batters hit ..299/.369/.408.
• He faced 3 batters in the fourth time through giving up giving up one hit, a home run and no walks with 2 strikeouts.

By Catcher:

• Alejandro Kirk: 130 innings, 3.88 ERA. Batters hit .268/.350/.391
• Danny Jansen: 41 innings, 5.05 ERA. Batters hit .276/.357/.417.

It’s likely sample size, but the ERAs are so different, while the batting lines are similar.

Bassitt’s best game by GameScore was a 75, June 7 in Oakland. He went 8 innings allowing 4 hits, 1 earned, 2 walk and 7 strikeouts.

Worst start? 13 GameScore, 2.2 innings, 9 hits, 7 earned, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 2 home runs.

He averaged 5.5 innings per start.

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Chris is two years into a three-year contract, and he turns 36 in February. If he wants another contract after next year, he will have to have a good season. But then he’s likely to be looking to get a one-year contract.

He throws a bunch of pitches:

• Four seam fastball averaging 92.6 mph.
• Curve averaging 71.0.
• Changeup, 84.5.
• Cutter, 89.6.
• Sinker, 92.5.
• Split finger, 84.1.
• Sweeper, 74.1.

A lot is made of him calling his own pitches. I have no worries about it. Pitchers have been calling their own pitches for years. I’ve always thought pitchers do best if they have faith in the pitch they are about to throw.

He was a late bloomer as a pitcher. Through his age 29 season, he had a 4-14 record in 40 games pitched with a 3.86 ERA. Since his age 30 season, he is 68-42 with a 3.53 ERA in 160 games.

But at some point he will age out of being a useful starter. Hopefully, it won’t be next year. He hasn’t lost anything on his pitches, so I’m hopeful that next year, he’ll still be good.

Before the season we asked:

• If the over/under on Bassitt’s innings pitched is 178 I’d take the: 26% were right taking the under. but he would have been close if he made that start on the last game of the year.
• If the over/under on Bassitt’s ERA in 3.90 I’d take the: 31% were right taking the over.
• Will Bassitt lead the team in innings pitched again this year: 54% were right saying no.