The Chicago White Sox used Garrett Crochet exclusively as a reliever during his first three seasons in the major leagues.
But the young left-hander always had different plans in mind for himself.
Crochet wasn’t afraid to voice it, either. Lance Lynn, who was teammates with Crochet for two-plus seasons with the White Sox, knew all about Crochet’s aspirations to be a top starting pitcher.
“When I was there, he was a young reliever because they got him right out of the draft, COVID, put him in the bullpen,” Lynn said during an appearance on “Foul Territory” on Wednesday. “And he always wanted to start. I remember as a reliever he was throwing high-leverage situations two innings at a time. But he would still always pick everybody’s brain in the starting rotation on things. He would always pay attention to routines, and ask you about how to take care of his arm, and what you feel in between starts and stuff like that. So, he was doing his homework early on to make sure he was going to be a starter. He never let that go. Every year it was like, ‘Hey, I want to start. I’m going to do whatever you ask me to do, I want to be a big leaguer, but I’m going to start, just to let you know.'”
Crochet got his wish this past season as he made 32 starts for the abysmal White Sox. He posted a 6-12 record, but ascended into an elite starter by posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.068 WHIP to go along with 209 strikeouts in 146 innings.
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The determination from Crochet, who Boston acquired Wednesday in exchange for four prospects, to do seemingly whatever it took to become a starter isn’t what should excite Red Sox fans the most about him. It’s what Lynn had to say about what the Red Sox are getting in the 25-year-old left-hander.
“You’re getting a guy that’s determined to be good, he’s determined to do it at a high level and he’s determined to do it for a long time,” Lynn said. “And man, when he’s on the mound, he wants to shove it down your throat.”
If Crochet carries that attitude out onto the mound at Fenway Park, he’ll quickly become a fan favorite among the Red Sox faithful.
Featured image via Matt Marton/Imagn Images
