In mid-February, right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt signed an $18.5 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. A major admitted factor in his move from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Orioles was Pete Alonso.
Meanwhile, there hasn't been much talk about the Orioles' pitching staff as a whole. However, Bassitt is gearing everyone up for a surprise this season, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. Overall, Bassitt says he expects the rotation to come out and let their game speak for itself.
“I think we're very underrated. … I'm not going to get too excited about it, just because I don't want to make no headlines. I would rather be a stealth bomber, so to speak, and not have anybody talk about us and just surprise people.”
Last season, Bassitt finished with an 11-9 record, 3.96 ERA, and 166 strikeouts with the Blue Jays. During the playoffs, Bassitt pitched in seven games and came away with 10 strikeouts.
The Blue Jays went on to make it all the way to the World Series, coming up short in a seven-game series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Orioles are coming off a season in which they finished last in the American League East at 75-87.
As a veteran, Bassitt joins a rotation that includes a solid core of Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers, and Kyle Bradish.
Furthermore, Bassitt is looking to redeem himself after an injury-plagued late-2025 season. In 2021, he was an American League All-Star, and in 2023, he co-led the AL in wins with 16 alongside Eflin.
As of now, Bassitt has an 83–65 record, 3.64 ERA, and 1,191 strikeouts.
