Chris Bassitt

Position: RH SP
Born: 2/22/1989
Ht: 6’5″ Wt: 217 lb
Acquired: Drafted 16th round in the 2011 draft out of Akron
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #18 – 2014 Preseason
  • #26 – 2014 Midseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game, 2013
  • Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game, 2014
  • Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team, 2014

Scouting Report

Bassitt was used as a reliever in college and showed enough to get drafted in the 16th round in 2011. After staying in the bullpen in his draft year and for part of 2012, the Sox transitioned him into a starting role with Winston-Salem. He made 10 starts with the Dash in 2012 with middling results (3.66 ERA, 75 K, 54 BB in 91 IP).

He started to get some attention as a prospect thanks to a breakout season in 2013. As a full-time starter Bassitt improved his numbers across the board while repeating the Carolina League. He struck out 101, walked 42 and posted a 3.46 ERA in 18 starts (101.1 IP). He earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham and posted a sub-three ERA (2.27), although his strikeout rate dipped (37 in 47.2 IP). This tall righty missed most of 2014 due to a non-baseball hand injury, but did very well in Double-A upon his return, earning a brief and at-times impressive stint in Chicago.

The White Sox shipped him to Oakland in the Jeff Samardzija trade after the season and he carved out a nice career with the A’s, including finishing eighth in AL Cy Young voting in 2020.

He has a very good to plus fastball that runs 92-96, an improving slider that scouts have recently called above average, and a change-up that got raves in his 2014 AFL stint.