Chicago White Sox: 3 most underrated relievers in the bullpen

Garrett Crochet

Garrett Crochet is one of the best pitchers on the entire Chicago White Sox staff.

Garrett Crochet has always been a stud. He was a first-round draft pick out of Tenessee in 2020 and a couple of months after being drafted he was pitching in the major leagues despite not having an inning of minor-league action under his belt. He became the first player in the 2020 draft class to debut in his draft year and the first White Sox pitcher to do it since Chris Sale in 2010.

Crochet made an immediate impact on the White Sox. He made five scoreless appearances and fired 45 of his 85 pitches at 100-plus mph. His 45 fastballs over 100 were the second-highest total in the big leagues even though he only pitched six innings. He also struck out eight of the 22 batters he faced and walked none. With the glimpse Crochet provided fans in 2020, people knew he was going to be good. However, not many people realize just how good he has been.

Crochet is arguably the second-best reliever in the bullpen at this point in the season. His 1.1 WAR is the second-highest in the bullpen behind only All-Star closer, Liam Hendriks. His 2.66 ERA for the season trails only Craig Kimbrel.

Crochet has been called upon in a variety of different situations and has gotten the job done the majority of the time. They have used him as an eighth-inning setup man, in extra innings, and as a long reliever. Crochet has only given up two home runs this year. His ERA+ which adjusts to the players’ ballpark is the best in the bullpen and the third-best on the pitching staff overall.

Crochet has also been riding a hot stretch recently. He hasn’t given up a run in his last seven games. Look for Tony La Russa to lean heavily on the flame-throwing southpaw this postseason.