The Chicago White Sox had a bullpen problem in 2023. It was mostly just a pitching problem in general and that is the most important component to winning baseball games.
There were a few injuries but there were also some underperformances. Regardless, it is something that the White Sox need to get back to doing right.
One of the people that fit the injuries category is Garrett Crochet. He missed a lot of the year recovering from injury but he was actually pretty good when he was on the mound healthy.
Crochet was a first-round draft pick for a reason. He clearly has some incredible arm talent but now it is about getting him 100 percent healthy in addition to keeping his development going.
The Chicago White Sox need to see more from Garrett Crochet.
In 13 appearances out of the White Sox bullpen, he had an ERA of 3.55. He had 12 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched which is a very good number.
His stuff is awesome and he just needs to work on throwing it well with consistency. The dude can miss bats and could get even better than that over time.
Crochet has the pedigree to make a jump in 2024. The team around him is bad but he can clearly be someone that helps them build a bullpen. He even has what it takes to be a starter which is what he was drafted as.
2023 Final Grade: C
The Chicago White Sox have a good pitcher in Crochet. He hasn't pitched as much as we'd like because of a variety of different things but he has been good when healthy.
The grade he deserves is a C because he was okay during his short time but we all know he can be much better. There are plenty of things for him to work on during the off-season.
2024 Expectations:
The expectations for Garrett Crochet are lofty because of where he was drafted and how he has played so far. The White Sox certainly want to have them back. They won't say no to a crazy good trade package but Crochet is staying until that happens.
As mentioned before, we don't know if he is going to be a starter long-term but you can probably expect to see Garrett Crochet as a bullpen pitcher to start the year. How he plays with them going forward will determine a lot when it comes to the long-term plan.