To the best of Sox Machine's collective baseball knowledge, 24-year-old right-handed Nick Nastrini is not a major league caliber hitter despite his lauded athleticism, so his imminent call-up will not address what most ails the 2024 White Sox.
But for a 2-13 team that had no realistic designs on contending even before the ship hit the rocks, Nastrini's scheduled major league debut Monday night against the Royals will address an area where the Sox are surprisingly lacking. With a roster that is nearly 29-years-old on average, this rebuilding White Sox team is sorely missing untapped upside to track.
The Luis Robert Jr. injury freed rookie outfielder Dominic Fletcher from a right field platoon, Jordan Leasure has yet to be charged with a run, and Korey Lee is getting a chance to claim the backup catcher spot. But beyond weekly updates on the Garrett Crochet project, this Sox roster is light on glimpses of a better future; rather just reminders of mistakes of the past. Even the comments on this team that are laudatory aren't particularly fun.
"We’re getting punched in the gut right now," said Pedro Grifol. "This is how you find out what we’re made of as a group. I believe in this group. I like the fact that they really care."
If nothing else, Nastrini's arrival is a shakeup and will provide something to watch. That was our collective early assessment of Crochet being made the opening day starter and now he's easily the most compelling player on the team. After two post-illness outings at Triple-A Charlotte (one poor, and one more in keeping with his strong spring), Nastrini could also serve as the catalyst for a rotational shakeup.
The Sox previously had Erick Fedde lined up to pitch Monday and Chris Flexen scheduled for Wednesday with an unoccupied spot in between. With Nastrini incoming, Fedde is still slated to pitch against the Royals, but the Sox still have an open spot while the struggling Flexen has been pushed off the slate for now.
With Mike Clevinger due to be ready by the end of the month and Brad Keller coming off five effective innings at Triple-A on Thursdays, storm clouds are gathering to push a straggler or two out of the rotation. Fans of poor teams would like to see their teams win, but failing that, we live in a law and order society that enjoys seeing people face consequences. Most Sox fans have designs on people higher up the org chart than the fifth starter, but you have to take it as it comes. Also literal storm clouds are in the forecast, so maybe they're just guarding against a rainout.
With mid-90s fastball velocity that boasts enough carry to get whiffs at the top of the zone, two distinct breaking balls and a changeup that ties the arsenal together with corresponding arm side fade, Nastrini has enough of a stuff profile that it could really matter that he's going to fall short of accumulating a full year of service time this season. He's dealt with yips in college, walks throughout the minors, and there are pro scouts who will insist upon a reliever projection for Nastrini still.
But despite my usual efforts, the first comments on Nastrini from White Sox coaches do not settle upon pitch design or mechanical concepts, but something more broadly relevant for a team that has spent the last week bemoaning the evils of "pressing" in almost every interview.
"Obviously the stuff is fantastic but it's how he conducts himself," said pitching coach Ethan Katz. "His readiness, his awareness. The moment is not too big for him. Some young guys will try to overdo it. They'll spray the fastball. He didn't care who he was facing in spring. He went right after guys and let his stuff shine. It was really impressive, just him and his mound presence. Most guys in those situation can go one of two ways, and he went the right way."
Nastrini's yips pushed him out of the UCLA rotation during his junior year of college, right when he was supposed to be setting himself for a multi-million draft bonus. While the most confident spring training comments from most Sox players was a belief they could surprise some people, Nastrini speaks with the assurance of someone whose return to prospect prominence already has.
"In the bullpen setting, when he misfires a couple pitches, if he doesn't like it he can slow himself down," Katz said. "He moves himself on the mound and he really gathers himself before he makes the next pitch. It's just a very unique presence for a young kid and I think a lot of what he's gone through in the past helps him today."
"He’s got great presence," Grifol said. "He’s not scared. He’s going to compete his ass off, that’s for sure."
The White Sox said an illness was responsible for a 10-day gap between Nastrini's last spring outing, and his season debut at Triple-A Charlotte where his velocity was down to 91-94 mph. He struck out eight in a four-inning follow-up that served as his proof of concept start before getting called up, but it's not a can't-miss profile or necessarily a soft landing against a division-leading Royals team.
Nastrini has walked over 11 percent of opposing hitters in his professional career, Kansas City will test him on the basepaths and the 17 stolen bags the Sox have allowed are one shy of the most in the AL. He's still a rookie making his first career start and cannot singlehandedly revitalize or suddenly become a captain of attitude on a team that's been getting its teeth kicked in for over two weeks running.
"Even nowadays I still definitely fall into the habit of looking too far into the future, trying to make plans for stuff that goes on in the future" Nastrini said in spring, on his efforts to translate his confidence into stoicism. "But I have to remember you have to chill a little bit and take it day by day."
But it's fun. Nastrini will be something to watch. Something to dream on. The White Sox could use more of it.
