Brady Basso Made His Case For a Spot in A's 2025 Rotation

Matthew Kalinowski | 2 Hours Ago

Sep 18, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brady Basso (66) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Brady Basso was the Athletics 16th-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2019. Early in the 2024 season, on May 14th, Basso was called up for the first time from Double-A Midland as an extra arm for the game against the Houston Astros but did not make an appearance. He was then sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas and not called up again until May 31st, where he made his debut against the Atlanta Braves, pitching one inning and striking out one.

Basso was on the move a lot in June between Oakland and Triple-A Las Vegas, but when he was sent down on June 17th, it ended up being for good until the rosters expanded in September.

After being recalled on September 5th, Basso went on to make four starts for the A's. In those four starts, Basso posted a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings, striking out 16 and walking only five. He pitched two scoreless starts versus the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox early in the month. Overall, Basso finished the season with a 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings with 19 strikeouts.

In 2024, Basso displayed a five-pitch mix but threw his four-seamer almost 50% of the time, 46.9% to be exact. His four other pitches included a curveball (20.6%), cutter (18%), changeup (12.3%), and sinker (2.3%). His best pitch was his curveball, which was responsible for nine strikeouts, and opposing batters only hit .200 against said pitch.

According to Baseball Savant, Basso had an xERA (Expected ERA) of 3.46 and had an elite BB% of 5.4%. Meaning Basso got a bit unlucky in his starts, and if he was given more of an opportunity, his ERA would have come down. Not to mention, Basso barely gave up free passes and made hitters hit off of him if they wanted to get on base.

The A's have a lot of pitchers to consider for the 2025 Opening Day rotation. As of right now, the A's projected rotation is up in the air. JP Sears will have a spot, as he was the team's ace all year long. Joey Estes should have a spot, but the 23-year-old finished the season with an 8.71 ERA in his five starts in September. Mitch Spence is another pitcher who should have a spot, but depending on the moves the A's make or how other pitchers perform, he could be in a long-relief role again, similar to how he started the 2024 season.

Even if all three of the pitchers mentioned have spots in next year's rotation, there are still two spots to fill. Rookie J.T. Ginn performed well since his promotion to the majors; Hogan Harris will compete for a rotation spot, same with Joe Boyle and Kyle Muller. Then there are the top A's prospect pitchers who have yet to make their debut, like No. 6 prospect Mason Barnett who finished the season by mowing down Double-A hitters. If they are invited to Spring Training and dominate, the A's could get aggressive and give them a rotation spot.

Basso will have to compete against several pitchers fighting for what may be two rotation spots. However, Basso did all he could with the opportunities he was given in 2024 and showcased his ability to the A's staff and front office what he could provide to their rotation. With a strong offseason and Spring Training, Basso could find himself securing a 2025 Opening Day rotation spot.