There’s been a seismic shift among MLB’s elite pitchers this year. None of last year’s top ten pitchers in WAR made this season’s list. Leading this new era could be Garrett Crochet, the standout left-hander for the Chicago White Sox, who might soon find himself on the move.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, fifteen teams have already inquired about Crochet’s availability, drawn by his impressive stats. The 25-year-old leads all of MLB with 141 strikeouts, boasting a 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 35.3% strikeout rate. Additionally, he tops the American League with a 2.37 FIP across 18 starts and 101 1/3 innings. In his latest outing against the Colorado Rockies, Crochet struck out eleven batters over seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits without issuing a walk.
Crochet seems destined for the All-Star team and is a strong contender for the Cy Young Award if he remains in the American League this season. His rise to dominance has been rapid: drafted in the first round by the White Sox in 2020, he debuted in the majors that same year with five bullpen innings. Despite missing the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery and dealing with multiple injuries limiting him to just 13 appearances in 2023, he transitioned to a starting role only this year.