Crochet returns to form in 1st outing
Pitcher reaches 99 mph, allows only 1 hit in 1 inning for Sox
GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Rodon watched as Garrett Crochet warmed up for a live batting-practice session Wednesday at Camelback Ranch.
Lucroy choked up on his bat about halfway to jokingly show how he would prepare to face the left-hander with a blazing fastball. Rodon pretended to swing, closing his eyes and ducking out of the imaginary batter’s box.
Crochet was back on a mound Saturday.
Making his Cactus League debut for the White Sox, Crochet allowed one hit and broke one bat in a scoreless third inning in a 7-0 win against the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear Ballpark.
“It felt really good to get back out there on the mound and compete against another team,” Crochet said during a conference call Saturday. “The arm feels good, so that’s the main takeaway. I felt really good with my offspeed. Fastball command waivered a little bit, but for the most part I felt very confident with it.”
Crochet’s fastball reached 99 mph Saturday. In 2020, 45 of his 85 pitches (52.9%) clocked in at 100-plus mph.
Asked if he’s saving triple digits for later, Crochet laughed and said, “That’s definitely the plan, trying to keep it a secret. But it’s not a very well-kept secret at the moment.”
The first batter he faced Saturday, Oscar Mercado, singled. Austin Hedges flew out to left.
Tyler Krieger’s bat shattered when he hit into a fielder’s choice. Crochet got Andres Gimenez to fly out to left to end the inning and Crochet’s day.
Crochet said there were some butterflies.
“This past week since I found out, I’ve had them leading up to it,” he said. “I heard everybody around the clubhouse voicing the same thing. If you are not nervous, then you probably don’t care enough to be here.”
His teammates are having fun watching Crochet develop.
“I’ve been playing catch with him the last few days and he has more than just a fastball, people already know that,” Sox pitcher Michael Kopech said Thursday. “Changeup is just as good. He’s going to be part of the future of this team, that is for sure. Excited to see what he brings to the table.
“Having him in our bullpen and eventually as a starter is going to be a huge step for us. He’s exciting to watch, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’re seeing.”
MLB.com ranked Crochet, 21, as the No. 56 prospect in baseball. While starting is the long-term plan for Crochet, he’ll be a reliever this season.
“Right now, Crochet figures to be a valuable part of the last third of the game,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said before Saturday’s game.
Crochet made a big impact out of the bullpen for the Sox in 2020.
He began the year in college, pitching for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Sox selected him with the No. 11 pick in the draft, and after some time at the team’s alternative site in Schaumburg, they called him up to the majors in September.
Crochet didn’t allow a run and struck out eight in six relief innings (five outings).
He was the first reliever called upon in Game 3 of the American League wild-card series against the Oakland Athletics and struck out two batters before leaving with what general manager Rick Hahn later said was a “flexor strain, essentially a muscle strain in the (left) forearm.”
With that issue behind him, Crochet said the spring is progressing “pretty good.”
“Right when I started playing catch again after the time off, I reverted back to some mechanical issues I had in college,” Crochet said. “Kind of cross-firing, but I’ve been able to clean those up and I’ve been seeing better results day after day.
“After (Saturday), getting out there in the game, (I) felt very confident about it.”
La Russa has been impressed with Crochet’s journey.
“He’s got big, big talent, but normally guys like that are more throwers than pitchers early until they start finessing and understand their delivery,” La Russa said.