In his own words: How Garrett Crochet went from reliever to one of baseball's best starters to All Star

Garrett Crochet is an All Star.

Back in 2020, it might not have shocked folks that the Chicago White Sox‘ first-round draft pick, who dazzled by blowing batters away with a triple-digit fastball, would four years later be representing the club at the Midsummer Classic, they’d surely be shocked by how it happened.

Crochet stayed a bullpen arm after that 2020 debut, saw his 2022 wiped away thanks to Tommy John surgery and faced physical setbacks that limited his action in 2023. He arrived at White Sox camp this spring ready to try to be a starter after never totaling more than 54.1 innings as a pro. Given the small number of innings under his belt, no one expected what followed — the Opening Day nod, a dominant three months, the major league strikeout lead and a spot on the AL All-Star team — was even possible.

No one, that is, except Crochet, whose confidence in himself has been as impressive as his work on the mound.

So how’d he get here? Just let him tell you.

Aug. 30, 2022: Garrett Crochet still recovering from Tommy John, but he wants to return as a starter

“Mentally right now, I’m preparing myself to be a starter. Obviously it will kind of (be determined by) what the team needs when the time comes, but I’m preparing every bit to be a starter. … That’s kind of the plan that I’ve put forward to them, and it seems to have been accepted very well. So hopefully we can get moving on that plan.

“It’s very exciting. Last year, I loved pitching out of the bullpen, but I really want to see how far I can go, how talented I can be and where my repertoire can take me.”

[MORE SOX: White Sox trade rumors tracker]

July 29, 2023: Garrett Crochet faces setbacks to his consistent MLB return, but he’s still thinking about starting

“I’m looking to extend out a little bit. That will be a conversation I need to have with Rick (Hahn) and Pedro (Grifol), as well. I was hoping to get a little bit of an innings base under my belt this year so then I could do that a little bit easier. At the end of the day, I feel like that sort of routine is a better routine for me based on the bumps and bruises that have been happening to me.

“I feel like I have the stuff to fulfill that (starter’s) role. I just want the opportunity to do it.”

Feb. 13, 2024: Garrett Crochet shows up to spring training, White Sox give him chance to compete for rotation spot

“I’m ecstatic. I had a conversation with (Chris) Getz early in the offseason and felt like it went really well. It’s not like I expect to be given anything. I just want a chance to fight for a spot and earn it, and at the end of spring training, reevaluate.

“For me, back in ’21, there were a lot of times when I went out there just for one inning and I felt like I had some more outs in me. I feel like it’s the most value I can bring to the team. And I feel like that’s kind of the prized pony of Major League Baseball. Everybody wants to be able to start. Not everyone can do it.

“I have a lot of self-belief I can do it, so I wanted a chance to prove that.”

March 27, 2024: Garrett Crochet named White Sox’ starting pitcher for Opening Day

“Same game, but (Opening Day) will be a different atmosphere. … I haven’t started in a while, but in my mind, things are returning back to normal. This is how I have always viewed myself. Go out and pitch and play like it’s just another day.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a pitcher and as a person since (starting in college), so for me it’s just going out and pitching. It’s not really starting vs. relieving. It’s going out and being myself.”

March 28, 2024: Garrett Crochet throws six innings, allows one run in Opening Day start

“I’ve been in the big moment before, obviously nothing as great as this. But it was nice to just give my team a fighting chance. … Just going back out there (was the most satisfying part of the day), getting to sit down on the bench and knowing that I had the chance to go back out and keep doing my thing.

“I felt good. In my opinion, I was ready to go back out there for the seventh, at least go batter to batter or something like that. … To give my team a quality start in the first one, nothing better than that.

“For me, it really wasn’t a drastic change. It was kind of things getting back to normal, in my opinion.”

April 2, 2024: Garrett Crochet, limited innings base and all, pitches seven innings in second start of season

“Since I got to college, that’s maybe the third time I’ve ever got to the seventh, so that was huge for me. Just nice to get back there because it was a little unfamiliar territory. To get there this early on (in the season), especially when we needed to win, that’s awesome.”

Crochet was asked after his second start if he’s missing the bullpen.

“Not quite.”

May 15, 2024: Garrett Crochet allows three earned runs across five May starts, emerges as White Sox’ ace

“I feel like I’m a really big competitor. So I feel like even without my best stuff, I would still take me 10 out of 10 times. So to go out and put up zeroes when I don’t have my best stuff, it’s awesome. Giving up one (run) today might have been a win the way the misfires were. But you know, I wasn’t going to settle for that.”

June 7, 2024: Garrett Crochet pitches around his own run-scoring throwing error, strikes out 10 Red Sox

“I already have so many expectations of myself. In a moment like this, I like to think that I thrive in it. … I always, in my mind, considered myself somebody that responds well to adversity.

“It all goes back to the conversation that we’ve talked about — I don’t know, a dozen times by now — that I had with Getz. I’ve always had a lot of self belief. It was waiting for that opportunity and then taking advantage of it.”

June 19, 2024: Garrett Crochet subject of trade talk, Chris Getz says he’ll talk with White Sox players in rumors

“I haven’t had any conversations about it, to be honest.”

June 24, 2024: Garrett Crochet takes on Shohei Ohtani, strikes MVP out twice

“Those are the matchups that you want. Those are the matchups that you go to bed thinking about the night before. That’s how it’s been every time I’ve faced him. Just got to know I have to be on my A game to get him out.”

Crochet was asked how he’s handling the White Sox’ plan to decrease his workload moving forward:

“I vouch for myself as much as I can. I think that I could throw 130 pitches and be cool. That’s how I felt like I was tonight. But with where the innings are at, I definitely understand where everybody’s coming from, trying to monitor things. But like I was saying, every game matters, so I want to pitch every game like it’s going to be my last. I don’t really want to take my foot off the gas for a second. But I understand.”

June 30, 2024: Amid trade talk, White Sox reported to have discussed extension with Garrett Crochet

Crochet was asked if he wants to stay on the South Side:

“Definitely. As far as that stuff goes, I’m just focused on doing exactly what I’m doing right now; taking the ball here for the White Sox. And other than that, I don’t really think about it.”

July 8, 2024: Garrett Crochet meets media in Chicago day after being named to All-Star team

“I didn’t necessarily expect my first year starting to go this way, but I’m really happy with where I’m at. My confidence is in a good place. I feel really good with my stuff. And most importantly, I’m feeling good.

“The work I put in in the offseason, that was hoping, that was before expectations began because I was just hoping to break with the team. But having the work I put in the last six months come to fruition is really cool.”

Crochet was asked about the trade talk swirling around him:

“Obviously, I pay attention to it. I see it. I hear it all the time. But I’ve still got to perform. A wise person told me, ‘Every time you take the mound, you’re playing for every team in the league.’ And that’s just the fact of the matter. You never know what can happen in this business. But what I try and focus on is playing for my teammates and playing the game hard.”

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