Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Wears Fantasy Football Punishment in Spring Opener
Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt has been pretty good on the baseball diamond over the course of his ten-year career, holding a 3.59 ERA while finishing with a smattering of AL Cy Young votes in that span.
However, Bassitt didn't fare so well in the Toronto Blue Jays' fantasy football league this past NFL season, going 4-10, and for that, he was playfully punished. In the team's home opener, he wore a custom jersey with his name on the back, but his number has been changed from 40 to 4-10 to match his record.
Chris Bassitt lost the Blue Jays' fantasy football league, and is the bat boy today as punishment🤣
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 22, 2025
(via @Sportsnet)pic.twitter.com/MRhlOrXqhc
Not only was Bassitt forced to wear the jersey, but the punishment also made sure that his special number could be seen by the spectators on hand for the game, as Bassitt was also a bat boy for the day.
In 2023, Bassitt led the league in wins with 16, started a league-high 33 games, and faced the most batters with 826. He finished the season with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.175 WHIP.
Last season did not go quite as well for the 35-year-old right-hander, as he still made a solid 31 starts, but his ERA climbed to 4.16, right at league average, and his WHIP jumped to 1.462 on the year.
Heading into 2025, Bassitt and the Blue Jays are hoping for a bit of a bounce back in the tough AL East. FanGraphs has them projected for 82 wins this year, tied with the Tampa Bay Rays, and just a game back of the Baltimore Orioles. That's the good news.
The bad news is that the New York Yankees are projected for 87 wins, while the Boston Red Sox are set for 85. Even if Toronto does finish with an eight-win improvement over 2024, they could still end up at the bottom of the division. That said, they would still be right around the middle of the pack in terms of the American League as a whole, which isn't much of a consolation prize.
Of course, the Jays will be hoping to make it back to the postseason this coming season, but the real story to watch will be the future of the club, with this being the final year the Jays have first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. under team control.
The two sides were unable to reach an extension by the deadline Vladdy set earlier this week, so as of right now, it looks like he could be headed for the open market, where the Blue Jays haven't had much luck landing big free agents they've targeted in recent offseasons.
If the Jays fall out of contention by the break, then the front office may need to pivot, which could potentially lead to trade talks involving guys like Bassitt. This will be a big season that may very well determine the direction of the franchise for years to come.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.