New York Mets starter Chris Bassitt has been a huge part of the Metsâ turnaround as one of the best teams in the league with a 90-55 record. An All-Star in 2021, Bassitt has carried over that form in New York, pitching to the tune of a 3.44 ERA in 165 innings pitched (27 starts). But amidst all the franchiseâs drama over the past decades, Bassitt wasnât quite sure what to expect when he arrived in New York from the Oakland Athletics back in March.
In fact, according to Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated, Bassitt felt alarmed when he received news of his impending move to the Big Apple.
âIt sounded like it was a mess,â Bassitt said, but he quickly realized that the Metsâ culture shift was already well underway. âThen I got to spring training and was like, âOh, this isnât like that at all.ââ
Chris Bassitt, after nine seasons in the league, knows just how important accountability is to a teamâs success, and he was pleasantly surprised with how mature the Mets players are in terms of wanting to improve and wanting to learn from their mistakes.
âI knew the names, but I didnât know the personalities, so I didnât know who could handle what,â Bassitt added. âOverall, I think, we have a locker room full of guys that like to be pushed, and thatâs exciting. I think thatâs honestly one of the biggest reasons why weâre good this year.â
Bassitt credited Max Scherzer, in particular, for providing leadership among the Metsâ troop of quality pitchers. In particular, Scherzer urges his fellow pitchers to come up to him and fellow ace Jacob deGrom for advice, and if thereâs anyone youâd like to ask for pitching advice, itâs those two.
âThe best part is itâs not just one guy. We have five veteran pitchers,â Bassitt explained. â[âŚ] Weâre all basically looking at Max and Jake [deGrom] and those guys and saying, like, âPlease mess up so we can jump down your throat.ââ
Chris Bassitt is now confident in the Metsâ chances after experiencing firsthand a franchise turnaround thatâs been a long time coming. Led by veterans Scherzer and deGrom, as well as shortstop Francisco Lindor, Bassitt knows the Mets have as good a chance as any team to make some noise come postseason time.
âWeâre not trying to play until the end of September,â Bassitt declared. âWeâre trying to play until November.â