(670 The Score) It didn't take long after the White Sox drafted Tennessee left-hander Garrett Crochet at No. 11 overall in the MLB amateur draft Wednesday evening for the comparisons to former ace Chris Sale to start.
Crochet reminds of Sale in that he is 6-foot-6, sits between 97-100 miles per hour with his fastball and owns a wipeout slider.
Of course, Crochet weighs about 40 more pounds than the skinny Sale and the White Sox are pushing those comparisons aside, pointing out that they want Crochet to be himself. In the past four years, that was marked by Crochet growing seven inches and adding nearly 13 miles per hour to his fastball.
"He can be a No. 3 starter," White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said. "It's that potential upside that is going to unfold. There are some hopes that he's more than that in our room."
The White Sox have a history of initially utilizing future starters in the bullpen while they're still young and developing. That worked well for Sale, and Crochet could follow a similar path. The trouble is there won't be a minor league season in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there will be expanded big league rosters and a taxi squad. Crochet could join that mix at some mix in 2020, Shirley said.
"Garrett is going to develop at his own pace," Shirley said. "He will tell us how that story will work out. The pitch mix tells you he has major league stuff. He will come in his own time frame. Do I think he can possibly be there soon? Yes, that is possible. That story is yet to be told. We will see how this environment continues to unfold."
Crochet only made 36 appearances, including 13 starts, for the Volunteers across three seasons, so he lacks experience. His sophomore season was interrupted by a broken jaw before this junior season was derailed by the pandemic. He had a 4.64 ERA in college.
Crochet is ready to get to work.
"It's definitely something I am comfortable with," Crochet said of possible bullpen duty. "It was something I was able to do in college my freshman and sophomore year. I could bounce around with different roles and kind of felt like a Swiss Army knife. Right now after being drafted, I am ready to do what the White Sox want me to do. I always envisioned myself as a starter, but if I was to pull the Chris Sale maneuver and work my way up as a reliever, that's what I will do."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
