Chris Bassitt will be waiting if the Mets can win a must-win game two on Saturday night, and he knows his group is dealing with a frustrated fanbase that isn’t afraid to voice its frustration or concerns.
He was prepared for it as soon as he was traded from Oakland before the season.
“I’ve learned, especially this year, where there’s sometimes negativity and stuff like that - we lose two or three games, and holy crap, the world's burning down - I’ve truly learned to appreciate the stories in baseball and life itself,” Bassitt said.
“When I got traded over, it was like an ‘OK, here we go.’ The reason I say that, in my opinion, there isn't a harder city in our country to play a sport. New York is an absolute gauntlet every night.”
Mets fans have certainly been frustrated and concerned of late, as a sweep at the hands of the Braves lost the NL East after leading by 10.5 games, and a lopsided loss to the Padres on Friday night after Max Scherzer was rocked for four home runs has a 101-win team on the brink of elimination. But dealing with the spotlight, the expectations, and the emotional response is something Bassitt believes has helped him become a tougher pitcher that would be ready to answer the call in a do-or-die game three on Sunday, if necessary.
“Mentally, I kind of thought I was mentally tough enough to play in New York, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to be playing with a team like the Mets, just because I’m proving to myself that I can handle it,” Bassitt said. “The scrutiny, the boos, I can handle all that stuff. Looking back, I’m thankful for that. Mentally, it’s toughened me up a lot.”
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