White Sox Select Pitcher Garrett Crochet Of University Of Tennessee In First Round Of MLB Draft
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago White Sox on Wednesday selected left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet from the University of Tennessee in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Crochet, 20, made one start in his junior season with Tennessee, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts before the season was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He was named a 2020 Baseball America Preseason First Team All-American and Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American.
Crochet is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 220 pounds. During his sophomore season in 2019, Crochet went 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA, three saves, and 81 strikeouts over 18 games with the Tennessee Volunteers in which he started in six. He averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings played.
"We are very excited to bring Garrett into the organization," Mike Shirley, White Sox director of amateur scouting, said in a news release. "We are talking about an elite left-handed pitcher, who we think will be a starter, with a three-pitch mix. The intangibles that he brings in terms of toughness and athleticism is something we really gravitated towards, and we were very excited to get him at the 11th pick. It's a great situation for both Garrett and the Chicago White Sox, and we look forward to many great years ahead with this young man."
Crochet is a 2017 graduate of Ocean Springs, Mississippi High School, where he went 6-4 with a 1.48 ERA and 76 strikeouts as a senior to help lead the team to the Mississippi Class 6A State Semifinals.
He was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but did not sign.
Meanwhile, the Cubs selected Mount Carmel shorstop Ed Howard in the first round.
