Late-inning Lockdown

CHRIS SALE

LHP, WHITE SOX

Because of his build (a rail-thin 6'5") and an intimidating repertoire that includes a fastball that tops out at 100 mph, Chicago's 2010 first-round draft pick looks like the second coming of Randy Johnson. But while the White Sox project Sale as a starter, the 21-year-old from Florida Gulf Coast University will spend this season in the bullpen, where he could end up as the departed Bobby Jenks's successor as closer. "We called him up [last August] in the middle of a race, and, pitching in high-leverage situations, he didn't flinch," says White Sox assistant G.M. Rick Hahn, who watched Sale strike out 32 in 23 1/3 innings down the stretch.