The Toronto Blue Jays have been wildly inconsistent at the plate season, but Chris Bassitt is going to bat for the team’s hitters.
After watching his team finish off a 4-3 win in 13 innings against the Boston Red Sox in a game that showcased many of the team’s frustrating patterns (lack of timely hitting, baserunning miscues) along with the squad’s clear strength (pitching), the right-hander delivered his overall thoughts on the Blue Jays
“We’re the best pitching staff in the big leagues and then we play i think the best defence in the big leagues. I think the hitting side of it all, the story of our hitters not being great is just skewed,” Bassitt said after a strong seven-inning outing in which he gave up two runs on four hits.
“You watch games, especially (teams) like Texas we just played (in a four-game sweep for the Rangers). Corey Seager has carried them, but at the same time another guy did too. I just think we’ve got to get multiple guys hot. That’s what makes great offences. Obviously, we’ve got Vladdy hot. Now just one more person and nobody wants to face us.”
The Blue Jays are 13th in OPS and 18th in home runs, while ranking third in team ERA.
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If the hitting numbers were a bit better, chances are the Blue Jays would not be scrapping and clawing for one of the final two wild-card spots in the American League.
With 13 regular-season games to go, of course, the Blue Jays remain very much alive in the playoff race. There is time for the Blue Jays to get the bats going and become that dangerous team Bassitt envisions in the playoffs.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has had his share of frustration at the plate this year, connected for his third home run in as many games on Saturday. Apart from two runs in extra innings on Saturday, Guerrero Jr. home runs accounted for all of the Blue Jays’ offence the past three games.
“I know I’ve said it multiple times this year, but we have the guys in the room,” said Bassitt, who is 14-8 with a 3.78 ERA in his first year as a Blue Jay. “A lot of (teams) have false confidence because they want to think they have guys that can get hot and carry teams. but they just don’t have the guys.
“We have four or five different guys that can easily do that. As long as we keep pitching and keep playing defence the way we do, the hitting is going to come. It’s just a matter of when and hopefully it’s the right time.”
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