Getty Garrett Crochet
The Chicago White Sox certainly weren’t expected to contend in 2024, but even so, the rebuilding team’s start to the season has been particularly underwhelming. Currently ranked last in MLB with a record of 14-31, there have been very few things to like about the White Sox this year — but starter Garrett Crochet still has a shot at becoming one of them.
On May 17, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris listed Crochet as one of five pitchers “most likely to rebound” after struggling with consistency through the first six weeks of 2024, recognizing that the 24-year-old’s biggest issues seem to be in his pitch mix.
“Crochet’s best pitches are the fastball and the slider. The fastball has been as advertised, a 97 mph monster with rise and run that has only been hit to the tune of a .165 batting average and .174 slugging percentage despite him throwing it more than half the time. The slider, despite having a whopping nine inches more sideways movement than the average slider, has not had the same fate: Hitters are slugging .722 against the pitch.”
With the disappointing results his slider has seen this season, Saris noted that Crochet has already started making changes to right the ship.
“Pitches with that kind of sideways movement [like Crochet’s slider] often have problems against opposite-handed hitters, and the White Sox starter noticed,” Saris wrote. “The results have been great for four starts: three earned runs and 30 strikeouts against four walks over 23 innings.”
Crochet Makes White Sox History
After 10 starts this season, Crochet is 4-4 with a 4.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts in 51.2 innings, and despite his struggles at times, the left-hander has already secured himself a spot in franchise history.
On May 15, Crochet posted his 70th strikeout of the season, the most ever recorded by a White Sox pitcher in their first 10 career starts, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. The record was previously held by Chris Sale, who posted 68 strikeouts in his first 10 games in 2012.
Crochet made his MLB debut as part of the White Sox bullpen in 2020. After playing a crucial role in helping the team win the AL Central in 2021, Crochet missed the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, and made just 13 relief appearances in 2023.
He made his first major-league start on Opening Day this season.
White Sox ‘Expected to Trade’ Multiple Players at Deadline
On May 4, White Sox general manager Chris Getz told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen that no player was off the table when considering trades this season, commenting “We will be open-minded on anything to further set us up for future success.”
The following day, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the White Sox are “expected to trade” multiple players by the deadline this season, listing Tommy Pham, Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, Mike Clevinger, Michael Kopech, and Eloy Jimenez as top trade chips. If Crochet manages the rebound he’s hoping for, he’s likely to also be thrown into the mix.
Crochet has two seasons of club control left after 2024, which makes him particularly attractive as a trade chip. With the White Sox deep in a rebuild, they’re unlikely to be contenders by his final year of club control (2026), so trading Crochet for developing prospects who better fit their longterm goals should be a serious consideration.