CLEVELAND — Former University of Akron baseball player Chris Bassitt is happy and healthy in his role as one of the top starting pitchers for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bassitt, 35, is in his 10th season in Major League Baseball and is showing no signs of slowing down. He was selected as an American League All-Star in 2021 while pitching for the Oakland Athletics and finished in the top 10 for the AL Cy Young Award in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

Bassitt sat down for an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal in the Blue Jays dugout Friday before a three-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Bassitt, a native of Curtice, Ohio, about 35 minutes east of Toledo, reflected on his time as a member of the University of Akron baseball team, his experiences in MLB and his family.

When asked 20 years ago, when he was 15 years old, did he ever think he would be in this position, Bassitt said: "No. No. Pretty much never thought. No. When I was younger, if you would have told me, 'Hey, you are going to play 10 years in the big leagues.' I would have said no chance."

One of Bassitt's first big breaks was after his redshirt sophomore year at Akron in the Coastal Plains League, a college summer ball league.

"I did really well there [for the Edenton Steamers in North Carolina], and that is a really good league with a lot of really good talent," Bassitt said. "It is very similar to the Cape [Cod League]. I went there and played well, and thought, 'Ok, I can go pro.'

"I did well at the lower levels [of the minor leagues], and once I got to Double-A and did really well at Double-A, I thought I had a real chance to make the big leagues. I was never sitting at Akron thinking, 'I am going to be a big leaguer, by any means.'"

Bassitt entered this week with a 6-6 record and a 3.52 ERA in 15 starts for a Blue Jays team struggling offensively. He has 81 strikeouts and allowed 85 hits and 34 walks and hit six batters in 84⅓ innings.

Bassitt pitched six solid innings on June 18 against the Boston Red Sox and was a spectator during the three-game series in Cleveland that the Guardians swept to remain atop the AL Central Division.

"Obviously, I wish I could pitch here [in the three-game series] with it being so close to where I grew up, but it didn't work out," Bassitt said. "Overall, I would say the biggest thing is health. I feel really good health-wise. I feel strong. I would say that is the biggest thing. I know pretty much that as long as I am healthy I am going to put up good numbers, whatever that may be.

"I am constantly worried about where my body is at. I understand that I am a little older, but I feel really good for my age."

Bassitt has been among MLB's best starting pitchers since 2019 with the Athletics, New York Mets and Blue Jays.

"I love the guy," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday. "Just a pro. Takes the ball. He pitched 200 innings last year, kind of an outlier in today's game. He evolves with the game. He understands what hitters are doing. He understands what his stuff does. Doesn't try to overdo it. He has the ability to throw eight pitches.

"He is awesome in the clubhouse. He is a leader, which is tough when you are a pitcher because you are not playing everyday, but he is a huge voice in the clubhouse. He has been absolutely awesome."

Bassitt and his younger brother, Matt, learned about sports from their parents, John and Dawn Bassitt. Chris played football, basketball and baseball in high school and graduated from Genoa Area in 2007.

Bassitt pitched for the Zips in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for former coach Pat Bangtson. The Chicago White Sox drafted Bassitt in the 16th round on June 7, 2011, and he signed two days later.

Bassitt made his MLB debut with the White Sox on Aug. 30, 2014. He was traded to Oakland four months later and pitched in parts of six seasons with the Athletics before being dealt to the Mets on March 12, 2022.

In his final three seasons with the A's, Bassitt went:

• 10-5 in 25 starts with a 3.81 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 144 innings in 2019.

• 5-2 in 11 starts with a 2.29 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 63 innings in the shortened 2020 season.

• 12-4 in 27 starts with a 3.15 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 157⅓ innings in 2021.

Bassitt posted a 15-9 record in 30 starts with a 3.42 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 181⅔ innings in his lone season with the Mets in 2022.

Bassitt signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays on Dec. 16, 2022, and compiled a strong 2023 season with a 16-8 record, a 3.60 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 200 innings. He led the AL in wins and starts (33).

"Every team is different," Bassitt said. "It is a blessing to be here. I am happy with this being my second year with Toronto. I kind of bounced around from Oakland to the Mets to here in all of three years. It is nice to be somewhere and you know every single person around. Moving teams, it is fun and it is exciting, but it is also very nice to come into a year and not have to learn names.

"... I am constantly trying to grow and become a better a person, a better father, a better husband. I would say your priorities are always changing. Staying in a whole lot more. I have a lot more fun with the family, hanging out at the house or going to parks and stuff like that. Work is a lot of fun. Obviously, doing this job is a blessing, but my family is everything. I enjoy being with them."

Bassitt and his wife, Jessica, have two children, Landry (4) and Colson (1).

"I got to know him really quick," Schneider said. "I understand him and his family, his wife and how he is as a father and as a husband. I have awesome conversations with him about baseball and about life. He is really in tune with what is going on in the game, and I am thankful that we got him."

Bassitt said he keeps up on what the Akron baseball team is doing, but none of the coaches he played for are still with the program.

"Everyone that I was there with is all gone," Bassitt said. "A number of guys that I played with there are now coaching in college somewhere else, so I follow them a lot more than I follow Akron. It is not like a knock on Akron by any means — I still follow them to an extent — but I have a lot more love for my friends and where they are coaching."

Bassitt grew up cheering for Cleveland's pro sports teams, and had fun watching the 1995 and 1997 teams that played in the World Series.

When asked who were his favorite Cleveland baseball players, Bassitt said: "All of them. Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar and Omar Vizquel. Obviously, I came up also watching CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Scott Kazmir back in the day, I liked him, too. It was a great brand of baseball and it was easy to root for."

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Akron pitcher Chris Bassitt continues to succeed with Blue Jays