GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Lucas Giolito has not been named the White Sox Opening Day starter, but he most certainly will when manager Tony La Russa gets around to it.
That Giolito is really the only choice that should be made says a lot when left-hander Dallas Keuchel and right-hander Lance Lynn, a pair of seasoned All-Stars who actually finished one and two notches ahead of Giolito in Cy Young voting last season, are available. Keuchel has made three Opening Day starts in his career and Lynn was the Rangers’ Opening starter in 2020.
“Ace” of the staff comes with being the incumbent – Giolito was the Opening Day starter and posted a 3.48 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 12 starts covering 72 1⁄3 innings last season. He was an All-Star in 2019, tossed a brilliant no-hitter and took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Athletics in his first postseason appearance. Oh, and possessing the best stuff of the talented threesome and being a centerpiece of the Sox rebuild doesn’t hurt, either.
“It means a lot to be like, labeled the ace by media, fans, all that,” Giolito said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “It makes me feel good. It’s a huge honor to be considered that, especially with the caliber of pitching we have on the team, especially with Dallas Keuchel and Lance Lynn mext to me, those guys could go be the ace on a staff.’’
And then Giolito says what a leader of the staff should say.
“But I want our rotation to have five aces,” he said. “From a competitive standpoint, I want our coaches, and the players playing behind us saying we have a great chance to win today because the ace is taking the mound and that’s all five days.”
The way Sox pitchers are lined up in their scheduled Cactus League starts and live bullpens, starters are lined up in a Giolito, Keuchel, Lynn, Dylan Cease, Carlos Rodon/Reynaldo Lopez order. Only Giolito and Lynn have pitched in games thus far (both looked sharp) and Lopez made his first start Saturday while Lopez was pitching throwing live batting practice.
Giolito echoes what everyone knows about Cease, Lopez and Rodon.
“The back end of our rotation, we have immense talent,” he said. “It’s just next step for those guys and they’re getting there, and those next steps are going to be made sooner rather than later.”
Giolito was stoked after seeing what new pitching coach Ethan Katz was making with Cease and Lopez during the offseason.
“Dylan is throwing his fastball much better now than last year,” Giolito said. “I’m excited to see him get into game action and see how that translates.”
Lopez was also in constant communication with Katz over the offseason and tightened up his arm swing.
“I watched Lopey’s first bullpen in camp and I was like, oh my god, your arm action, you cleaned it up,” Giolito said. “Your curveball is back. The curveball he had back with the Washington Nationals [when they were teammates], like, there it is. OK.”
Perhaps a camp battle for the fifth spot will push Lopez and Rodon.
“So much talent,” Giolito said of Rodon. “He’s dealt with the injuries throughout his career, unfortunately, but he’s healthy now. And the cherry on top is the work he’s putting in with Ethan.”
Giolito is also working on things, in particular the shape of his slider and making it a plus third pitch. He has dominated at times using only his fastball and changeup.
So he wants to be even better. As every staff leader should.
“I like to lead by example,” he said. “I’m a pretty relaxed guy in the clubhouse. I don’t like to get on anybody’s butt or anything like that. I want our team atmosphere to continue to be where it’s at where everyone can be themselves and be comfortable but talking pitching, hearing guys out, giving advice for young pitchers. That’s a huge part of my role as well as being a good representation of the organization when it comes to charity work and fan interaction. I take all of that very seriously.”
