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White Sox hope confident Lucas Giolito will prove 'stalwart' in rotation
He will pitch in his first April major-league game Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium, and the Sox hope his year of growth shines through.
“He’s still a young kid, still has not made a ton of starts at the big-league level,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “He's looking more and more like the kind of guy we projected him to be, which is a stalwart in the rotation going forward."
Giolito finished his six-week stint in the majors with a 2.38 ERA, striking out 34 and giving up just 31 hits with 12 walks in 45 1/3 innings. That was leaps and bounds better than the 6.75 ERA he recorded over six outings with the Nationals in 2016.
He continued to impress this spring with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 17 with four walks over four Cactus League starts. Giolito said he was able to throw his curveball more for strikes and improve the shape of the pitch. Hahn said his curveball playing well even in the Arizona air makes the Sox optimistic about how effective the pitch will be out of the desert.
Giolito also said he’s bringing a “different vibe” into this season, having grown more comfortable with the Sox clubhouse and with his own performances.
White Sox hope confident Lucas Giolito will prove 'stalwart' in rotation
He will pitch in his first April major-league game Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium, and the Sox hope his year of growth shines through.
“He’s still a young kid, still has not made a ton of starts at the big-league level,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “He's looking more and more like the kind of guy we projected him to be, which is a stalwart in the rotation going forward."
Giolito finished his six-week stint in the majors with a 2.38 ERA, striking out 34 and giving up just 31 hits with 12 walks in 45 1/3 innings. That was leaps and bounds better than the 6.75 ERA he recorded over six outings with the Nationals in 2016.
He continued to impress this spring with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 17 with four walks over four Cactus League starts. Giolito said he was able to throw his curveball more for strikes and improve the shape of the pitch. Hahn said his curveball playing well even in the Arizona air makes the Sox optimistic about how effective the pitch will be out of the desert.
Giolito also said he’s bringing a “different vibe” into this season, having grown more comfortable with the Sox clubhouse and with his own performances.
