Things may not be too hot in the Toronto Blue Jays’ batter’s box. The media and critics will highlight this flaw about the club and praise the pitching, which has been excellent out of the gate, both in the rotation and the bullpen. A huge part of the rotational success is due to right-hander Chris Bassitt’s great start to the campaign.
Bassitt is slotted in the third spot of the five-man rotation, and so far, he owns a perfect record amongst other vibrant statistics. Let’s start with a magnificent statistical line, beginning with a team-leading 1.2 fWAR and an American League best 0.77 ERA.
Bassitt has started four games and worked 23 and 1/3 innings, only allowing a total of two earned runs on 20 hits. He sits behind Tyler Mahle in terms of ERA+ (525), and his 1.02 FIP leads all of the Major Leagues.
The Blue Jays’ right-hander has been extremely dominant with batters, posting a stunning 31 strikeouts versus only five walks. Free passes are not a thing this year for the starter, and he’s challenged all of his opponents with a wicked lineup of pitch options. He also has yet to surrender a home run, tying three other starters amongst the league who have yet to allow a round tripper.
Chris Bassitt strikes out 10 in a dominant @BlueJays pitching performance 😤 pic.twitter.com/VcvdefvMbY
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2025
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Where is Bassitt finding his success this season?
Appreciation for this year’s success wouldn’t be justified without remembering a mess of a season in 2024. Bassitt finished 2024 with a 4.16 ERA, a 10-14 win-loss record, and led the AL in hit-by-pitches (16).
Fast forward to this season, and the difference is night and day. Bassitt still employs seven pitch options, with full usage. He still does not rely on a four-seam fastball; in fact, his fastball is the second least-used pitch.
His sinker, cutter, and curveball continue to be the top three pitch options used, and he remains early-90s on his sinker velocity. These three pitches collectively make up almost 80% of his pitch usage. His sinker alone is responsible for 38.8% alone while his cutter trails at 18.2%. Bassitt’s cutter holds the top put-away percentage of his pitch options, sitting at 35.5%. He sits at a +7 pitching run value (98th percentile) and his sinker, cutter, and curveball all sit above a +3 mark, while his split-finger and 4-seam fastball sit just below the zero mark, dragging his overall value down just a touch.
The Blue Jays starter will always be a strikeout pitcher, as he holds the weapons to toy with counts and experiment on outings. In 2024, his strikeout percentage was 22.2%, and he currently holds a 28.8% in April. Last season, his walk percentage was 9.2%, whereas now he holds a 4.6% out of the gate.
Where he succeeds more is when he’s able to force roll-over contact for outs. AIR is the statistic that covers fly-balls, line drives, and pop-ups. His AIR percentage so far this season is 63.2%, compared to last year’s final number of 59.1%. Bassitt’s batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was .333 in 2024, this currently stands at .207.
So, what are we seeing with the naked eye? We’re seeing more confidence in a select number of pitch options, along with the confidence to use other options in trying counts. Bassitt is battling these matchups and leaving less room to breathe for these hitters.
Chris Bassitt trounced the Braves today as he racked up 10 K across 5.0 IP
Bassitt and his wide array of pitches now has a 0.77 ERA and 1.01 FIP through 23.1 IP pic.twitter.com/r9nikpLiII
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) April 16, 2025
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The right-hander is in for a career year if he can keep up the pace; his outings have been against some established batters. Further tests will prevail when other clubs enter the mix of the schedule, bringing heavy hitters to face the Jays’ top starter, beginning tonight in Houston.