Garrett Crochet

Amateur career

As a junior, he had a 3–0 record with a 0.51 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings. He initially committed to Jones County Junior College but, after a senior season of 6–4 with a 1.48 ERA and 76 strikeouts, drew interest from Texas and Tennessee. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB draft, but he did not sign and enrolled at Tennessee. In 2018 as a true freshman, he made 17 appearances (11 starts) with a 5–6 record and 5.51 ERA.

His sophomore year in 2019, he went 5–3 with a 4.02 ERA over 18 appearances, missing the SEC Tournament after breaking his jaw in his last regular-season start. That summer he was invited to the United States Collegiate National Baseball Team training camp. Entering his junior season, he was named a first-team preseason All-American by Baseball America and placed on the Golden Spikes Award watch list. Arm soreness caused him to miss the first three weeks of the season, and he appeared in only one game before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the college season.

Professional career

The Chicago White Sox selected Crochet with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft, and he signed on June 22, 2020, for a $4,547,500 bonus. On September 18, 2020, he became the first player from that draft class promoted to the majors, the 22nd player to go straight from the draft without minor-league experience, and the first to be promoted in his draft year since Brandon Finnegan in 2014. With the 2020 White Sox, he appeared in five games, allowing no runs in six innings while consistently throwing 100 mph.

In the decisive Game 3 of the 2020 American League Wild Card Series against Oakland, he struck out both batters he faced before leaving with forearm tightness. In 2021, his first full season, he recorded a 2.82 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 2. Returning in 2023, he made 13 appearances with a 3.55 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

On March 18, 2024, Crochet was named the White Sox Opening Day starter despite never having started a major-league game. In his first start, he went six innings, allowing five hits and one run while striking out eight in a 1–0 loss to Detroit. He was named MLB Pitcher of the Month for June 2024, going 1–1 with a 1.91 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while striking out 56 batters in six starts. On July 7, 2024, he was named to his first All-Star Game.

In the first half, he was 6–6 with a 3.02 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 20 starts, leading the league with 150 strikeouts and 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings. For the full 2024 season, he made 32 starts with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts over 146 innings, setting a career high, and was named AL Comeback Player of the Year. On December 11, 2024, the White Sox traded Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for prospects Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman González.