From the Locker Room: Garrett Crochet's sizzling debut

The first player from the 2020 draft class in the majors blows up the Great American Ballpark radar gun from the get-go

Hey, welcome to the major leagues, Garrett Crochet! How did it feel?

"It was awesome," he said postgame on Friday. "My body felt weightless. I felt like I was on top of the world and just truly living the dream…it felt pretty good just going out there and knowing I could get outs on the big-league level."

"Getting outs" is one way of putting what Crochet did in the 7-1 White Sox loss to Cincinnati. Facing the bottom of the order in the sixth, the 2020 first-rounder mowed down Brian Goodwin and José García on strikes, then cajoled a ground out to first base from Tucker Barnhart. 

Crochet hit 100.5 mph on the sixth pitch of his career to punch out Goodwin, then crushed García with three straight fastballs: 99.9, 101.2, and 101.5 mph.

"I was getting some compliments, guys were telling me good job and congratulations," Crochet smiled. "But I think they could kind of tell on my face I was pretty rattled, pretty nervous when I came off the field. But once everything settled, guys approached me and were telling me good job and stuff like that. It was nice to hear."

The lefthander became the first 2020 draft choice to reach the major leagues, following the path of superstar lefty Chris Sale, who did the same thing pretty much exactly a decade ago for the South Siders. One difference, due to the circumstances of this shortened season: Crochet never pitched a single game in the minors before making his MLB debut.

"I'm truly living the dream," he said. "It's pretty hard to put into words. It's something I didn't necessarily foresee for myself a year ago today, but something that's been kind of building up, and something I've been looking forward to. I'm just glad to get out there today and helping the team any way I can."

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Garrett Crochet video courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.