(670 The Score) White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito didn't hesitate when asked what winning the American League Pitcher of the Month award for May meant to him.
"Satisfaction," Giolito said in an interview with Danny Parkins on 670 The Score on Tuesday afternoon.
There's good reason, of course. In one of the best storylines of the first half of the MLB season, Giolito has transformed into one of top pitchers in baseball after being perhaps the worst one in 2018. Giolito is 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 11 starts spanning 67 1/3 innings.
This resurgence has come after Giolito posted a 6.13 ERA in 2018, the worst mark of a qualifying starting pitcher in MLB, per ESPN.com.
"A bit of relief after last year -- a lot of trials and tribulations," Giolito said. "Just going back to work this offseason, putting some things together. It's just the first step right there."
In facing adversity and putting it in his past, the 24-year-old Giolito has referenced his struggles openly. He attributed "90-plus percent" of his recent success to his mental approach, believing confidence was a crucial factor for him.
Giolito went 5-0 with a 1.74 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 10 walks in 41 1/3 innings in six starts across May, then followed it up with 7 1/3 scoreless innings in a win against the Indians on Sunday, his first start in June.
"It was a slog, it was tough to get through that year, ending the year with some of the worst numbers in the league," Giolito said. "I just knew I really had to bear down and work on some things so I could be better prepared for this season.
"I never lacked confidence in myself in knowing that I'm going to be successful, but there were times last year where I was not pitching confidently. It's not fun."
