Garrett Crochet's already pitched close to half the number of innings of his career-high 54.1 innings from the 2021 season as a reliever.
At 22.2 innings thus far this season, Crochet is turning heads with his impressive starts on the bump for the White Sox. And that continued on Saturday --- despite giving up five earned runs --- with a 10-strikeout game against the Reds.
Crochet started the game hot, striking out the entire side of the Reds' lineup. He followed that with seven more strikeouts, three walks and just four hits allowed against the league's eighth-best offense.
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He slipped up in the second inning, allowing all five runs of the game to score for the Reds. He attributes that to a lack of command and a skewed mentality toward precise aiming.
"(It) felt like I was kinda searching for something the first two innings just because my command wasn't there," Crochet said after the game. "But I'd chalk that up to more of just not being as competitive in the zone as I have been. I feel like I was focusing too much on hitting spots and not so much on throwing strikes."
Still, it's hard to nitpick on a pitcher who's been thrust into a starter role. Remember, Crochet for the Sox was primarily a short-inning reliever, having pitched just 12.2 innings in 13 games last season. And he's in his second season coming off of Tommy John surgery.
What the Sox are asking is a tall task of Crochet. He hasn't been a starter since college. Yet, he's making the most of his innings, pitching confidently with attack and aplomb.
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"Competing in the zone, that's my game," Crochet said.
From the Sox's perspective, they're excited. Crochet is undoubtedly the team's best pitcher at this moment. And while they're cognizant of his innings as a first-time starter in the majors, they're riding the wave for now.
"At least, in the interim, we're gonna let this guy go," Chris Getz said earlier this week. "It's been outstanding so far with Garrett. Every time he takes the mound I think everyone feels like we're in a good position to win. I'm always interested in how he's gonna navigate lineups.
"At some point, I would imagine that we're gonna have to be a little bit more measured. But we're not at that point right now. We appreciate the heck out of what Garrett's providing to this team right now."