New York Mets: Chris Bassitt calls out MLB over new balls
Once again, the baseball is in the spotlight during the season. This time, it is because home runs are down considerably, with one player describing the ball as hitting a rolled up sock. However, the hitters are not the only ones complaining about the new balls, as New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt vented his frustrations after Tuesday’s action.
According to Bassitt, not only are the balls “bad,” but every pitcher in the league is aware of that as well. Moreover, he says that the league just does not care that the balls are a problem and are going to continue along their way.
New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt takes MLB to task on new baseballs
It would seem strange for Bassitt to be complaining about the new balls from a statistical standpoint. He has posted an excellent 2.25 ERA and a 0.917 WHiP in his 24 innings, with just seven walks and 26 strikeouts. Bassitt has only hit two batters in that time frame as well, which would seemingly show that these new balls have not been an issue.
However, that does not mean that the Mets have not had their issues with the new balls. Mets players have been hit 18 times entering Wednesday, the most in the National League. Meanwhile, Mets pitchers have only hit six batters, with Bassitt leading the way having hit two batters thus far.
That seems to be the crux of Bassitt’s point. The balls are difficult to grip without other substances, which is why so many Mets batters are being hit. Meanwhile, Mets pitchers are adjusting by focusing more on the outer edge of the plate to attempt to keep from giving up a free baserunner.
At some point, something will need to be done. MLB has cracked down on pitchers using foreign substances to help with their grip on the ball, but those pitchers also need to be able to grip the ball properly to avoid bouts of wildness. Maybe the answer is to try out a new ball, but no one is likely to want to go that route in the middle of the season.
Next. Time to end the Robinson Cano experiment. dark
New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt has an issue with the new balls that MLB is using this year. He certainly is not the only player to have complaints about this change.