The Baltimore Orioles are in Toronto for a three-game showdown this weekend, but for one pitcher, this series is anything but ordinary. Chris Bassitt, the former Blue Jays ace now donning Orioles colors, is back in a city that reportedly shaped his career — and his emotions are running high.
On Saturday, Bassitt didn’t hold back when asked about returning to Toronto, according to Sportsnet. “This is a very, very special place to me,” he admitted, his voice reportedly thick with feeling. Sources close to the situation tell us the admission caught several teammates off guard — and has fans buzzing about what this could mean for his performance on the mound.
Bassitt inked a one-year, $18.5 million deal with Baltimore back in February, but his time in Toronto wasn’t just stats and strikeouts. Insiders say his tenure with the Blue Jays from 2023 to 2025 transformed him from a solid arm into a legitimate veteran presence — a guy who could anchor a rotation and deliver in the clutch.
Remember 2023? Bassitt tied an American League record with 16 wins in his first season with Toronto, and on May 12 of that year, he spun the Blue Jays’ first complete-game shutout since Mark Buehrle did it in 2015. According to team insiders, he also tied Roger Clemens’ franchise mark for scoreless starts of six-plus innings — a feat that raised eyebrows across the league.
But it wasn’t all about the numbers. In 2024, Bassitt was nominated for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing his philanthropic work. He and his wife Jessica run “Bassitts Pitch In,” an organization allegedly dedicated to making sports more accessible for young people. One insider told us that Bassitt’s off-field impact in Toronto is a big reason why the city still holds such a powerful grip on him.
That same season, Bassitt went 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA and 166 strikeouts as the Blue Jays stormed to the American League pennant. In the playoffs, he came out of the bullpen seven times, posting a 1.04 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 8.2 innings — and even threw six innings of one-hit ball in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fans are reportedly still talking about that October performance.
Now the question on everyone’s mind: Can Bassitt channel all that emotion into his scheduled start Monday against the Seattle Mariners? With a 4-4 record and a 5.27 ERA this season, some insiders worry he might be pressing too hard. But if his return to Toronto is any indication, Bassitt could be ready to remind everyone why he was once the heart of a championship-caliber staff.
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