Lucas Giolito suffered a “freak minor injury,” pushing his start back from yesterday to Tuesday and allowing the White Sox to keep Michael Kopech in the rotation for one more go. He delivered with his longest and most-impressive outing of the season, using 87 pitches to get through five innings, striking out ten, giving up four hits, zero walks and one run in a win against the Rangers.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa believes in Kopech’s long-term potential as a rotation arm, but he’ll go back to a hybrid role out of the bullpen for now. Per the Athletic’s James Fegan, La Russa said, “This is definitely not the time to think about moving Michael into the rotation. Michael Kopech is going to be a top-line starting pitcher. But right now it made sense to get him in condition and add more and more pitches. More importantly, the fact that he has competed so well shows that he has guts when he goes out there; he keeps his cool and concentration. I don’t have a crystal ball, but if he pitched — and I use the (Adam) Wainwright experience from ’06 — he can pitch in the bullpen all year long and maybe next year win 20 (games), or maybe later on he pitches this year as a starter.”
Kopech has made a pair of spot starts this year in his first game action since 2018. He’s also come out of the bullpen four times for a total of 15 2/3 innings – already a big-league career-high – with a sparkling 1.72 ERA/1.25 FIP. He’s striking out batters at an elite 46.6 percent rate while allowing a very strong 6.9 percent walk. It’s early, of course, but even out of the pen, the lanky 24-year-old with electric stuff is proving to be a weapon for the White Sox.
Kopech has come a long way since being a centerpiece of the Chris Sale trade back in 2016. It’s somewhat amazing that he’ll turn just 25 years old this upcoming Friday. Fegan detailed Kopech’s journey back to the Majors for a piece well worth a read here in the Athletic.
Larissa is a pathetic manager.if white sox don’t beat the twins for the division it will be because of larussa
Or because the players just play like crap or pitchers don’t preform but sure yeah it’s Larussa
That’s pretty unfair…..they are off to a fair start and taking good advantage of the Twins Covid situation. Already 4.5 up on them—and those are the only two “real” teams in the division.
Yeah, the Indians aren’t a “real” team despite having the reigning Cy Young Award winner and some nice young pitchers behind him. They’re offense needs to step it up. They’ve got some guys that are growing up at the major league level. The Royals aren’t a “real” team either with their mix of vet’s and young players. They’re going to be competitive this year. I don’t think they’re going to win the division this year but within the next 2-3 yrs I can see them winning the division at least w the potential of a lot more.
@prospect—by “real” team, you and I both know I meant a team with a shot at winning the division. The Indians are in growing up mode and the Royals are probably a couple years away. The Sox and Twins are better than both of those teams, despite the small sample size. And the original comment was to the first in the thread that only LaRussa could lose it to the Twins.
Says the Twins fan
Agree..LaRussa is past his prime and in over his head. Pathetic move by Reinsdorf but I guess if you own the club you can do whatever you want to do.
No.
Pathetic seems strong. I feel like he has earned more respect than that from his career, DUIs notwithstanding.
No.no.
Yes. Carlos Rodon did pitch a No.no.
You are correct ma’am. The Red Sox did sell Bambino to the Yankees so he could fund No.no. Nanette.
This bullpen being largely unreliable isn’t on LaRussa. I wasn’t wild about the signing, and think he has done plenty to lose them some games this year, but they won’t lose the division based on him alone. He is finding his way with this team and his decisions are becoming less about trial and error and more about what is working what isn’t working.
Should’ve hired AJ Hinch. LaRussa is too damn old. If this was 10 years back I would’ve loved him being manager. And yes the bullpen has lost 7 games so far.
I’m older than him and no problems for me except finding enough women.
I’m not a Sox fan but Tony is arguably one of the best managers to manage in past 40 years. He might be out of place with today’s players and ideas though, but not everyone believes in cyber metrics
He is a winner so maybe players are out of touch with him.
??? Whenever a team has a new manager, look for a 500 record in April as he learns the roster and take it from there. So far so good.
As a Sox fan, I love Kopech. Future ace of the staff, if Cease can get his stuff down and Giolito Lynn and Keuchel can keep doing what they have been doing with Rodon in fire, Sox have great rotation plans for 2021 and beyond
Rodon and Lynn are free agents after this season.
I could see both resigning. Lynn has a comfort level being a mentor to the young Sox and playing for his old manager TLR and Carlos feels indebted to the club for sticking with him. All slots nicely as Keuchel is prolly in his last big contract.
Why should they resign? It’s only April and they’re having solid seasons thus far.
I can see Lynn having comfort pitching for a manager he has history with. I have to ask though, what leads you to believe Lynn has comfort mentoring young pitchers? Are you purely speculating or do you have something of substance to validate that statement?
Lance Lynn’s positive ‘mentoring’ relationship with younger White Sox pitchers has been reported by many of the team’s beat writers, corroborated by the players, coaches, manager and staff.
And potential mid season trades depending on how the team looks at that point.
I realize that, but that puts more money for the Sox to spend on other SPs. Also, they could resign both in no time
Does Crochet eventually get slotted into the rotation? I don’t mean this year specifically, but next year, or within the near future? Or will he remain in the bullpen? Either way, I think he’s going to be super dominant.
Garrett Crochet will be one of the White Sox starting pitchers, as soon as next season. Assuming both Lance Lynn and Carlos Rodon don’t return as free agents in 2022 (big assumption!), and no other SP’s are added from outside the organization this figures to be the White Sox rotation next season:
1-Lucas Giolito (RHP)
2-Michael Kopech (RHP)
3-Dallas Keuchel (LHP)
4-Dylan Cease (RHP)
5-Garrett Crochet (LHP)
RHP Jonathan Stiever would be the next internal SP up for the rotation.
Crochet will be on the Kopech plan. He doesn’t have enough mileage from College to be thrown in next year. Expect 1st half of next season for him to do 2-3 innings and spot starts until September. I think signing Lynn for 1 more season makes so much sense.
They HAVE to resign Lynn for the trade to have maximum value. You don’t trade a prospect like Dunning for a year of Lynn.
I’m also not buying Crochet in the rotation. He has to master his breaking stuff, and get better command. He didn’t even start much in college.
What we have seen this year is not what he showed when he came up last year. Not sure what Crochett we can expect moving forward, but if it is 2020 Crochett, he has Cy Young caliber stuff.
Garrett Crochet will be on the ‘Chris Sale’ plan, along with the new ones utilized for Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech in the recent past.
Why would Crochet’s limited innings in college have so much bearing on his workload for next season? He’s already being pampered this season, similar to Kopech who has missed virtually all of 2019 and 2020 due to TJ surgery and his opt-out last year. Name a pitcher, amateur or professional, who wasn’t or will not be impacted at some point this season because of circumstances related to the pandemic?
The White Sox rotation has already been impacted in just the first month of 2021 due to concerns related to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the management of the staff. This has affected not only young pitchers like Crochet, Kopech and Dylan Cease but also veteran SP’s Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel, Carlos Rodon and Giolito. Every SP has been given extra rest between starts. The bullpen has also been monitored very closely with three of their top late inning arms unavailable on Sunday out of an abundance of caution due to high pitch counts over the weekend and despite two off-days earlier this week and another on Monday (today).
Right about Crochet. Lynn will prolly be back, if not still a solid trade. Lynns a hoss you can lean on in the playoffs. Dane. Just a guy. Cool specs and all.
It’s a one year, get over the hump type move that hopefully will serve its purpose. No reason to lock up an aging pitcher when the younger options are so plentiful.
The aging pitcher is very good, and the only pitcher with a sure fire slot in the rotation is Kopech. Even Cease needs to start showing more. He hasn’t hit five innings in a single start.
It was the Rangers that Kopech dominated. Take a breath….
and 87 pitches to get through 5 innings is…uninspiring.
It’s mostly the 10 strikeouts that lead to the higher pitch count. As you know, this is a common “issue” for high strikeout guys. There were no walks leading to poor efficiency. You are off base in your characterization of this outing as “uninspiring”.
I remember one year before the trade, the White Sox tried to get Chris Sale to “pitch to contact” more in order to lower his pitch counts. That was a failed experiment. Sometime you just have to accept the high pitch counts for guys with a ton of swing-and-miss stuff.
i mean a lot of K’s are great but its still 5 innings. Who cares about Ks when you could be going deeper into games. the league’s best starters have the ability to obliterate the opposing team with strikeouts, but can also get outs otherwise whike preserving their pitch counts. sure, getting 2/3 of your outs on strikes is great, but its less impressive when guys like Bieber and deGrom are doing that while also going 7, 8, 9 innings.
I don’t think the bar is Beiber and Degrom. There are very few pitchers that go deep into games these days, and especially after the mess that was 2020.
He went 5 because it is his 2nd start since 2018, and it was out of the bullpen in a spot role. Actual fans of this team will understand that was an impressive performance given the circumstances.
Oddvark you’re right on point with your comment. Pitch count is an over emphasized stat. Guys with high strikeout numbers always throw more pitches it’s that simple. Greg Maddux was a guy who might rack up Ks without throwing many pitches but he’s arguably the best true “pitcher” the game’s seen and an exception. His strikeout totals weren’t insanely high but he did have his share of high strikeout games. He would K eight or nine in eight innings while throwing ninety pitches. I thought Kopech looked stellar and if I were a White Sox fan I’d be excited for the future of that franchise. They’re loaded and I wouldn’t be worried if they didn’t win this year.
You’re comparring a spot start to two of baseball’s best pitchers. There aren’t many pitchers who can go 7+ innings on the regular anymore.
Amazing stat Len and Stoney unearthed. The 3 guys who all struck out 20+, also didn’t walk a single batter in those games. Talk about being in the zone. So a lot of strikeouts, in isolation, don’t necessarily lead to a lot of pitches. Some teams are more aggressive and come out swinging.
Comparing to guys such as Bieber or Degrom is unfair. I dont think its asking alot expecting a guy to get through 6 or 7 innings when throwing 87 pitches. That is quite a bit for 5 innings.
I think true outcomes baseball is overrated, but I also am not going to knock a guy when he makes sure ten batters never get a chance.
Very few players can punch out a lot of guys with efficiency, and most of them win Cy Youngs or are I. The top three each year.
I agree you want pitchers to go deep into games. But if the trade off is teams can’t do anything for five innings, I’ll take that. And keep I. Mind, he probably goes out for a sixth in normal circumstances.
It should be noted that Michael Kopech threw 87 pitches, 60 for strikes. His command has been awesome all season. You only need to click on his Baseball Reference link to confirm this. Better yet, get a subscription to the ‘Athletic’ to understand exactly why Kopech has turned the page in a career that saw command as his greatest stumbling block to becoming a future ace.
Btw: Kopech has dominated virtually every opponent this season including a hot hitting Red Sox lineup in his first abbreviated start in Fenway the previous Sunday.
Michaels been efficient so far. 10Ks yesterday but not over reliant on a knockout pitch and willing to mix it up. In his previous outings, he’s mixed in some 7 pitch innings, pitching to contact.
He gave up four hits and no walks. One was a homerun, but he literally shut down the offense.
You are complaining to complain.
I don’t understand this comment. Rangers are solidly mild of the league in terms of offense. This isn’t the Detroit offense or Baltimore.
Maybe next year for Crochet. They’d like Cease to not be so inefficient/inconsistent with his command, so he can at least stick in rotation (unlike Lopez). Lynn also leaves a spot if they don’t extend him.
Rodon is only under contract for this season, too.
True and most WSox fans see besides Rodon health history, 2 of 3 starts he wiggled out of familiar control issues lasting the minimum 5 for a decision. He has to put together a full season for he and Boras to try cashing in on a significant FA offer.
Lopez is valuable too. If his work with Ethan Katz pays off, another powerhouse arm/workhorse available.
Kopech has always looked to have top of the rotation stuff. Hopefully he has adjusted his mechanics after TJ. He’s still young enough to have an excellent career.
Michael Kopech has made significant alterations with his mechanics which is the focus of the ‘Athletic’ article. These tweeks along with his electric stuff, personal drive, self confidence and willingness to learn will result in Kopech being one of MLB’s elite TOR’s in the coming years.
The changes that Kopech has implemented are similar to what Lucas Giolito underwent over the past two years, Each now have an MLB pitching coach and the proper analytical organizational resources behind them to achieve the success that was always projected for them as top pitching prospects.
Don’t sleep on Reyno. Hes also been working with Ethan and the pitch lab and like Carlos is primed to take a step forward as well. Yaz and Collins have really bought in to the analytics and the results are starting to show.
I’m as big a supporter of Reylo as anyone, but if his step forward with Katz was what he did in the Spring, I don’t think there is much there. Hope I’m wrong, cause he has a world of talent.
How much more of Lopez do you need to see before you realize he’s not a very good pitcher, at least as a starter?
We are starting to get into Dylan Covey territory here. He has not been good for years, and unlike Rodon or Gio, there is no injury-releated excuse behind his lack of performance.
He’s just not very good – as a starter.
For those who don’t have a subscription to The Athletic, there was a similar article posted today regarding Kopech on mlb.com : https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/michael-kopech-dominant-major-league-return
Lanky?
Yeah….LMAO. Has Teneca even seen Kopech?
Lanky might be last description that would come to mind.
Hes prolly thinking Sale. Or Crochet. Might want to cease the talk about body types lest you work that ESPN body issue poster all in a lather.
Mercedes was hidden gem #1 in their system. #2 for a long man/mop up role they can really use now is soft tossing southpaw Kyle Kubat. Defense required to be on its toes. Stop rushing up Stiever or promoting fireballer Burdi b/c of his draft position. Self-scout please…..if he isn’t locating, send him back down, but Kubat can fill a need for innings to at least try.
I like Kubat a lot. I see him cracking this team this year as a trial and staying on because of success, a la Foster and Heuer last year.
Stiever, for a known control pitcher, has been largely out of control in his work. Maybe it’s nerves, but he just doesn’t look ready yet.
I don’t mind them using Burdi, he isn’t worse than what some of the other pensmen have done this year.
Don’t mess with the pen ! That’s how KC went to consecutive WS and Yankees use same business model. When your bullpen controls the last 3 innings of a game – u end up winning a whole lot of those !
Have you watched the Sox bullpen this season? They have been extremely suspect top to bottom. Kopech has been the one reliable arm I am not sitting on pins and needles watching. I really hope it’s just early jitters, but there have been some very distressing signs from Foster, Marshall, Crochett, and even Hendriks. I cannot stress enough that LaRussa’s management of this group has been equally suspect, and could contribute to some of these troubles (Foster and Crochett specifically)
Comparing to guys such as Bieber or Degrom is unfair. I dont think its asking alot expecting a guy to get through 6 or 7 innings when throwing 87 pitches. That is quite a bit for 5 innings.
By the way, Giolito’s “freak minor injury” was he tried to twist off the top to a glass water bottle, but it wasn’t a twist off, and split his middle finger open.