Through the rumors of the Chicago White Sox planning on not bringing Lucas Giolito back after his contract is up, he has battled back from a brutal 2022 season.
In 2022, Giolito had an ERA plus of 81 which was the lowest it had been since his first full-length season with the White Sox in 2018.
In 2023, he is 5-4 with a 3.54 ERA. He has pitched 81.1 innings while striking out 84 opposing hitters. For every strikeout Giolito gets, he plants 150 trees so not only is it great to see Lucas strike out people for the sake of the White Sox but also for the world and our environment.
Giolito has made his arsenal more challenging for hitters to read out of the hand, specifically on his much-improved slider.
The Chicago White Sox need Lucas Giolito to keep pitching well.
The slider has been so dominant that he has leaned on it more than his money-making change-up.
Three-pitch Lucas Giolito is better than two-pitch Giolito and 2023 has been a great example of that.
Lucas Giolito, Nasty 85mph Slider...and K Kick. 😨
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 11, 2023
7th K pic.twitter.com/bgEBUHKRmc
Giolito has a 2.86 ERA over his last 12 outings which raises the question, has he been good enough to make an all-star appearance in 2023?
It's most likely that either Luis Robert Jr. or Jake Burger will be representing the south side of Chicago in Seattle but if the MLB elects a pitcher rather than a hitter from the White Sox, the name should be Lucas Giolito.
It would be Giolito's second all-star appearance and his first time back at MLB's big event since 2019.
Giolito's comeback in 2023 has been nothing short of excellent for the Chicago White Sox. He has solidified himself as the ace for the club this season.
This is Giolito's most significant season of his MLB career, money-making-wise, and it definitely wouldn't hurt him if an all-star nod was added to his 2023 campaign during the last year of his contract.
Depending on how the Chicago White Sox's playoff hopes are in late July, there's a chance that the right-handed starter can be dealt by the trade deadline which is August 1st.
The Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers are all contending teams that may potentially pursue Giolito. It will be interesting to see if the White Sox are sellers or buyers amid one of the worst playoff races in baseball history.