Bassitt believes the Orioles' pitching staff is significantly underestimated.
The Baltimore Orioles made a lot of noise this offseason, signing Pete Alonso, trading for Shane Baz, and adding closer Ryan Helsley to turn the roster around after a disappointing 75-87 finish in 2025.
But while most of the attention has gone to the lineup, one of Baltimore's newest arms wants to keep it that way.
Veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt, who signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with the Orioles in February, shared his thoughts on what he sees from the pitching staff during spring training in Sarasota.
"I think we're very underrated," Bassitt said, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. "I'm not going to get too excited about it, just because I don't want to make no headlines. I would rather be a stealth bomber, so to speak, and not have anybody talk about us and just surprise people."
Bassitt Settling in With Baltimore
Bassitt made his first spring start for the Orioles on March 1 against the Boston Red Sox and has already looked comfortable in his new surroundings.
Last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bassitt posted an 11-9 record with a 3.96 ERA, 166 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP across 170.1 innings and 31 starts.
He also played a big role in Toronto's postseason run, allowing just one earned run in 8.2 innings across seven relief appearances as the Blue Jays went all the way to the World Series before falling to the Dodgers in seven games.
Entering his age-37 season, Bassitt has proven he is still reliable and durable, and he brings the kind of veteran presence that a young pitching staff can rally around.
His teammate Pete Alonso, who played with Bassitt on the 2022 Mets, was excited about the reunion and called him a "bulldog" with great energy.
Why the Orioles' Rotation Could Surprise
What makes Bassitt's comments so interesting is that there is real substance behind the confidence.
Baltimore now has six legitimate starting pitchers competing for five rotation spots, with Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and Bassitt all in the mix.
Bradish finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting back in 2023 before injuries limited him over the past two seasons, and his return to full health could be a game changer for Baltimore.
Rogers was voted the team's most valuable player in 2025 after posting a 1.81 ERA in 109.2 innings, and early reports out of camp suggest he has picked up right where he left off with five scoreless innings and six strikeouts in his first two spring starts.
Baz, who was acquired from the Rays, has front-of-the-rotation upside if he can stay healthy, while Eflin provides the kind of steady, dependable presence every staff needs.
The Orioles sit at 5-4 through their first nine Grapefruit League games and are still working through their early spring schedule heading into Opening Day on March 26 against the Twins.
Manager Craig Albernaz, who is in his first year at the helm, has liked what he has seen from the starters so far and noted that building them up for the regular season has been the main focus.
If Bassitt has his way, the Orioles' pitching staff will fly under the radar all season long and let the results do the talking when it matters most.