White Sox Mock Draft Roundup: The Draft Day survey

BATON ROUGE, LA - APRIL 13: Tennessee Volunteers pitcher Garrett Crochet (34) throws a pitch during a game between the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 13, 2018. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire)

Happy Draft Day, everybody! And what is Draft Day but the birth of hundreds of new MLB careers? Therefore, Happy Birthday, everybody!

While Josh tied Louisville lefty Reid Detmers to the White Sox in the mock draft he posted Tuesday evening, he did mention that Tennessee lefty Garrett Crochet was the subject of late momentum and the next choice if Detmers weren’t available.

As we survey the mock drafts posted today, it appears as though Crochet is indeed that popular, as he’s taken over as the consensus pick.

NC State catcher Patrick Bailey had been the universal favorite for the White Sox before this week based mostly on the team’s college-heavy history and lack of true catchers. There was room to usurp him with just a little bit more conviction, and most no longer consider Bailey a factor, which comes as a relief to catcher skeptics.

MLB.com (June 10)

White Sox select: Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennesssee
Previous mock: Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

After alternating mock drafts each week, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo convene in the Draft Day joint mock, and both analysts settle on the same name for the White Sox. As for the catchers, Bailey isn’t a factor, but they disagree on whether Tyler Soderstrom could happen.

Callis’ take: “Unless Detmers gets here, the White Sox appear to be choosing between Crochet and California prep catcher Tyler Soderstrom, with UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell and Abel also possibilities.”

Mayo’s take:Talk of the White Sox being in on North Carolina State catcher Patrick Bailey has subsided, as has chatter of high school backstop Tyler Soderstrom.

Read more: 2020 MLB Draft Player Profile: Garrett Crochet

ESPN.com (June 10)

White Sox select: Crochet
Previous mock: Bailey

Another switch from to the Tennessee lefty from Bailey, while Bailey goes two picks later to the San Francisco Giants despite them having Joey Bart. Of the consensus top-10 picks, the only one that falls in the White Sox’s range is Arkansas outfielder Keston Hjerstad.

Kiley McDaniel’s take: “This one crystallized Tuesday as well; remember the White Sox’s path with picking Chris Sale (i.e. quick to the majors in the pen, possibly transitioning into the rotation in 2021)? That could happen here, and Crochet has a similar low-slot slinging, aggressive approach on the mound.”

Keith Law (June 10)

White Sox select: Crochet
Previous mock: Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville

With his previous pick off the board to San Diego at No. 8, Law also has the White Sox going with Crochet, with Kjerstad also getting squeezed out of the top 10 (San Francisco at No. 13).

Law’s take: “I’ve heard them with Crochet, [Tyler] Soderstrom and [Garrett] Mitchell; I think it’s the high-water mark for Crochet or Mitchell, and right in Soderstrom’s range.”

Baseball America (June 10)

White Sox select: Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS, Portland, Ore.
Previous mock: Abel

Baseball America switched off Bailey on Monday, going with the prep righty Abel despite the availability of Louisville lefty Detmers. Ed Howard is linked to the Dodgers at No. 29, giving me Gavin Lux flashbacks all over again.

Carlos Collazo’s take: “This pick is tricky. Chicago has been connected to Tennessee LHP Garrett Crochet, Detmers and North Carolina State catcher Patrick Bailey—the typical collegiate suspects for the White Sox. However the noise with Mick Abel has been significant enough that we think it’s legit and with a new scouting director in Chicago there’s no guarantee the team continues to heavily target college players. Still, it’s worth noting that Mike Shirley has been with the club in a high-level role going back to 2010.”

FanGraphs (June 10)

White Sox select: Crochet
Previous mock: Bailey

After flirting with Bailey for a couple of days, Longenhagen rejoined the pack in a different location today.

Longenhagen’s take: “If Bailey doesn’t go before this, I think he’s in the mix. The same goes for Abel.”

(Photo of Garrett Crochet by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire)

Take a second to support Sox Machine on Patreon
33 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PauliePaulie

If the Sox are comfortable with the rumored off-field makeup issues, Crochet would be a fantastic pick. Especially if the can save some $ for a projectable HS kid at 47.

GrinnellSteve

What are the rumors suggesting? I haven’t read anything.

PauliePaulie

Longenhagen posted twice about it. Said some teams don’t believe he was hurt at the start of the year. Hear he missed those starts due to an off-field issue. (That could go a long way to easing teams’ concerns aout his injury history, if they are also convinced he’s a future model citizen) Also compared him to Jay Groome, in that he has great stuff and makeup concerns.

GrinnellSteve

Thanks. I’m not even remotely a scout, but the stuff I’ve read has me thinking like Jimmy and not wanting the guy at 11.

PauliePaulie

The scouting has certainly been varied. My allegiance is with Fgraphs. Eric has 65/70 FB and 60/65 Slideron him. And he’s usually one of the stingier guys on present grades. Also says the more analytically inclined teams claim he has arguably the best raw stuff in the class and is one of the few with #1 upside and Closer as the fallback ability.

Eagle Bones

Eric does seem to be the most realistic. I’ll read the scouting reports on MLB Pipeline’s site, but their tool grades seem so rosey (I feel like it takes something drastic for them to give a guy anything below at 50 on a particular tool).

lil jimmy

When the Sox took Sale, he was a top six pick going in. He fell because of injury concerns, although he was completely healthy. That is not the case with Crochet. Plus his production is uninspiring to say the least. This guy is a back of the first round talent.

Eagle Bones

I wouldn’t be like thrilled with this, but it sounds like premium stuff (a lot of you were asking for high-upside!). If Detmers and Kjerstad are off the board, I could probably live with this. I’d rather have him than Bailey. Not sure how I’d slot him amongst Cavalli, Mitchell and the HS guys in that range, but the HS bats slated to go around there don’t really jump off the page at me based on what I’m reading.

Eagle Bones

I’m struggling with what to think of the HS arms like Abel and Blistko. I’m kind of against taking HS arms this high as a principle, but people seem to really like these two. As others have said, maybe this is the year to zig while others zag away from these HS guys.

Elena

I haven’t really been following the draft very closely, but I think that “Blistko” is VERY South Side sounding name and would look great on the back of a Sox jersey.

Eagle Bones

Would it still sound very south side if it was “Blitsko”? Because that’s how his name is really spelled haha!

Eagle Bones

Wow I really can’t read, it’s actually Bitsko. I’m gonna be generous and chalk this up to quarantine.

Elena

“Blitsko” would be ideal, but “Bitsko” sounds nice and grindy, too.

MrTopaz

“Nick Bitsko” sounds like the old “Na-bis-co” tag at the end of cookie commercials from the ’80s.

Josh Nelson

I think both Abel and Bitsko have a better chance of being starting pitchers long-term than Crochet.

Eagle Bones

What gives you pause in that regard with Crochet other than lack of experience / track record in that role? Just curious, read good things about his mechanics, repeatability, third pitch, command, etc.

Josh Nelson

In 36 college appearances, Crochet pitched 5+ innings only 8 times. I just think his profile is best in 2 to 3 inning bursts. Endurance is an issue, and it’s a big reason why Tennessee pitched Crochet mostly out of the bullpen during his college career.

The changeup is pretty firm, so it’s a pitch that needs work if he were to be a starter. But if that path doesn’t go well after Year 1 in the farm system, I would recommend scrapping that idea and just have Crochet stick with the fastball/slider combo to be a weapon out of the bullpen.

To see for yourself, here is a link to Crochet’s only appearance against Wright State in 2020: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ee4cd269-9b40-40d6-86cc-78a09025e027

Eagle Bones

Interesting, thanks for the additional background! In the past, this kind of reliever risk would have bothered me more. But with the way relievers are becoming more important, I’m not sure this is really the negative it used to be. I wouldn’t want to take a definite one-inning reliever in the first round, but a guy like this that at least has a chance to be a starter and could possibly be a multi-inning weapon if that doesn’t work out is still a really nice piece. I dunno what to think on all of these guys at this point, I’m all over the map haha!

knoxfire30

This type of profile would of scared me a lot more 10 years ago, and especially 20. Now a days though it feels starters only go 5 innings, and sometimes less. Throw in expanded rosters, teams carrying 13 pitchers, more teams going to openers and / or a 6 man rotation ect ect …A dominant 3 inning guy in the mold of a Josh Hader would be a thrilling piece to add to this roster.

PauliePaulie

in fairness to him, he only had 13 career starts and was on a strict pitch limit in at least one of those.(42pitches in that 3.1IP Wright State game)
All this may be moot. As, if memory serves, the Sox have a history of draft day misdirection.
Last year it was Bleday. 2018 was “bulldog” Brady Singer. In ’16 there was “no chance’ they were still in on Collins.

egib52

Oh I wish the no chance for Collins stuck, and they went with the rumored runner-up.

soxfan

Most important question regarding Crochet: is it pronounced like Don Johnson’s character’s name in Miami Vice or the textile creation process involving a small hook?

Right Size Wrong Shape

Or someone who is irritable.

Josh Nelson

I’m 95% sure its the textile creation process. This is basing it off Tennessee broadcasts.

Greg Nix

Seems like the year to take a prep arm if a good one is available. Since they would probably be limited to the complex (a la Thompson and Dalquist) they wouldn’t really be losing development time because of the cancelled minor league season. College players especially will be automatically on the Jake Burger track.

Eagle Bones

This is an interesting thought I hadn’t considered. Good point.

egib52

I have similar thought about the high school bats.

metasox

I had the same thought about preps but could be all wet. Also that pitchers would have a leg up over position players for that reason

lil jimmy

Mick Abel is my guy. He might be the best player to come out of this draft.

PopeDonnPall

If the Crochet comp is Chris Sale, it seems like the thinking is they can catch lightening in a bottle twice. From what I understand, catching lightening in a bottle twice is hard. Some of Sale’s success was a credit to Sox protecting him but most of it was just he was a freak. To bank on similar arm heath and trajectory is risky. Prefer Detmers.

Eagle Bones

But what do the experts say about the likelihood of catching lightning in a bottle twice?

PopeDonnPall

Callis says it’s possible.
Keith Law says it’s impossible.
Bruce Levine mumbled something about the Cubs.