DETROIT — Nearly four months ago in a Cactus League game, Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet struck out Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in an early spring training matchup of power arm versus power bat.
Ohtani swung so hard on the second pitch that his helmet came off, and Crochet froze him on the fourth pitch for a called strike three. They’d faced each other twice in 2021, with Crochet fanning Ohtani both times.
They’ll do it again Monday night at Sox Park, where Crochet, now one of the more dominant starters in the majors, faces the Dodgers and the legendary Ohtani, baseball’s first $700 million player.
Crochet did not know he would be in the Sox rotation when they faced each other at Camelback Park on Feb. 27. He not only became a starter, but ranked second in the majors on Sunday with 125 strikeouts, behind the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow’s 135 Ks.
Ohtani, meanwhile, ranked third in the majors Sunday with 23 home runs, including four of 450 feet or longer in June. MLB stats guru Sarah Langs reports only two players have hit five home runs of 450 feet or more in one calendar month — Colorado’s Trevor Story in September 2018, and Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton in May 2015.
While a Sox-Dodgers series on paper looks like a monumental mismatch, anytime you can watch Crochet face Ohtani is must-see baseball.
In his first start since college, Garrett Crochet strikes out Shohei Ohtani! pic.twitter.com/nob3Y89xA0
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Eloy Jiménez was also activated from the injured list Sunday, with Oscar Colás optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, so the Sox are relatively healthy for the Dodgers series.
Here are two other takeaways from the Sox’s weekend in Detroit.
Famous first words
White Sox general manager Chris Getz stressed building his 2024 team around pitching and defense last winter. It hasn’t worked out as expected, as evidenced by their 21-58 record.
But there is a glimmer of hope for the second half, thanks in part to rookies Drew Thorpe and Jonathan Cannon.
Thorpe earned his first major-league victory Saturday at Comerica Park with six shutout innings in a 5-1 win over the Tigers. He gave up only a pair of doubles, and the only blemish was his four walks allowed.
“Obviously four walks is still not really my game,” he said afterward. “I think it’s just better hitters up here so I’m trying to be a little bit more picky around the zone. Just kind of a learning curve. I’ll get over it with my innings and more outings here.”
Thorpe, acquired from the San Diego Padres in mid-March in the Dylan Cease trade, relies on a sharp changeup, much like former Sox great Mark Buerhle. Not many pitchers get called up from Double A after only 35 appearances in the minors, but Thorpe is making the best of his opportunity. He said he felt “fortunate” to get the call in Birmingham, and doesn’t know how long he will stay.
“In today’s game, Double A is just as good as Triple A,” he told me Friday at Comerica Park. “There are a lot of good players and we’ll continue to see more guys called up from Double A.”
Thorpe could be joined later by some of his former teammates in Birmingham. Former first-round pick Noah Schultz has a 1.31 ERA in five starts since his promotion, and Ky Bush has a 1.78 ERA in 12 starts.
“Obviously that’s what we look forward to, helping this team win a couple years down the road,” Thorpe said. “It’s good getting Schultzie up to Double A and seeing how he goes about his stuff. Because in reality, that’s the future.”
Cannon nearly threw a shutout last Tuesday against the Houston Astros before being lifted with two outs in the ninth inning in a 2-0 win. He said he understood the decision, which was based on a pitch count of 106.
Only 19 starters had at least one shutout in 2023. The New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez tied for the major league lead with two apiece.
Cannon was happy just to flirt with a shutout.
“That just speaks to the game Korey (Lee) called behind the plate, and the defense had an unbelievable game behind me,” he said Friday. “I gave up some hard ground balls, and balls in the hole. I think that speaks to them just as much.”
Cannon was called up in mid-April and made three starts. He was sent back to Triple-A Charlotte with a 7.24 ERA and has dominated in his first three outings back with an 0.48 ERA over 18 2/3 innings, including two starts.
“It was mostly trying to iron out the stuff I struggled with up here,” Cannon said of the demotion. “The lefty attack, the left execution. I got touched up a little when I was up here the first time. I was able to experience the majors, soak it in and then go back down and work on what I needed to work on.
“It definitely helps build confidence, for sure. To pitch in this league and pitch well for a long time, you have to have an unwavering confidence in yourself.”
On Sunday against the Tigers he struggled for the first time since his return, allowing eight runs, five of which were earned, in one-plus innings in an 11-2 loss.
Despite the rough start Sunday, it’s not crazy to envision a Sox rotation in 2025 made up of Crochet, Thorpe, Cannon, Schultz and Bush.
“We don’t really talk about the future like that,” Cannon said. “Just because there are so many unknowns in this game and we don’t know what is going to happen. Just try to stay centered and present and get better from start to start, bouncing ideas off each other.”
Closing time
Michael Kopech’s first year as a closer has been a mixed bag. His four-seam fastball has averaged 98 mph and he’s struck out 13.2 batters per 9 innings. But his command is a concern, with 5.5 walks per 9 innings. As a starter, he led the American League with 91 walks last year.
“He’s got the pitchability part, he’s got the power he’s shown as a reliever,” Grifol said. “When he mixes those two and becomes power and pitchability, he might be one of the better (closers) in the game. He’s in the process of doing that.”
Unfortunately, Kopech hasn’t had many save situations pitching for a last-place team, and Grifol has to use him in many non-save situations. Grifol said he wants Kopech to mix up his slider and cutter more to complement his four-seamer so hitters don’t sit on the fastball, even as difficult as it is to connect on a pitch of 99 or 100 mph.
“He’s learning how to do both, and that’s why I think he’s going to be a stud at the back end of the ’pen, because he’s going to figure this thing out,” Grifol said.
The question is whether he’ll figure it out in Chicago or elsewhere, with the New York Yankees and others reportedly interested in acquiring Kopech.
