Garrett Crochet threw 26 pitches during his 2021 debut Saturday night and topped out with his fastball at 98.9 mph.

The rookie southpaw averaged 96.9 mph with the pitch, which is slightly different from the pitcher who threw 45 pitches at 100 mph or above during his debut in 2020. But that fastball change has made Crochet a more confident pitcher, as he retired all seven hitters faced with three strikeouts.

“Yeah, it’s definitely taken a step forward,” said Crochet of his fastball during a Sunday Zoom with reporters. “I was commanding it pretty well last year, but I’ve made some small increments to get more on line to the target mentally. Just firing right toward the mitt as opposed to rearing back to try to throw it as hard as I can in the general direction.”

Crochet also mixed in nine sliders and three changeups during the outing. Having Crochet and Michael Kopech, two projected elite future starters, gives manager Tony La Russa a potentially dominant multi-inning bridge from the starters to the late-inning relievers.

“Pretty much anybody in our 'pen at this point could go one or two innings, could go out there and turn over the lineup,” Crochet said. “But definitely it’s nice to be looked to at that role. Trusting to help save the 'pen.”

“A lot like Kopech, you bring him in a close game against good hitters, and he got quick outs, too,” La Russa said. “That was the most impressive thing.”

Vaughn’s lineup return in Seattle

Left-handers Justus Sheffield and James Paxton open the upcoming three-game set in Seattle for the Mariners, so Andrew Vaughn will play both games. Yermín Mercedes also will play in both, giving the hottest hitter in baseball five straight starts.

But even with an astonishing 8-for-9 opening to 2021, Mercedes does not rely on any sort of superstitions to keep rolling.

“No, I don’t think I need to do that. If you’re good, you’re good,” Mercedes said. “It doesn’t matter if I have these shoes and I wear them every day.

“If you’re doing good, you’re doing good. The only thing is if you’re working hard, keep working and do the best you can. That’s what I think about. I use the same bat, but if it’s broken I change the bat. If not, same bat.”

Early defensive shortcomings

Entering Sunday night’s contest, the White Sox had committed five errors leading to a Major League-high seven unearned runs allowed. But the White Sox view this stretch as a small blip for a good defensive team.

“One of the worst things you can do is make a big issue of it where guys get tense and concerned that you lost confidence in them and we haven’t,” La Russa said. “If the angle was wrong or something happened, you explain it, but by and large they’re good defensive players.

“They’re getting their work in, and we’re going to play good defense. The sooner the better.”

Third to first

• Outfielder Adam Engel, on the injured list with a right hamstring strain, is working out at the team’s alternate site in Schaumburg, Ill., and is “on a good progressive program that is working out well,” per La Russa. Engel’s original projected absence was two to four weeks.

“He’s doing more and more and more,” La Russa said. “So far no setbacks.”

• The current White Sox roster includes six of the organization's first-round picks, the most of any team in the Majors, per Elias. That list includes shortstop Tim Anderson (2013), Monday’s starter Carlos Rodón ('14), catcher Zack Collins ('16), second baseman Nick Madrigal ('18), Vaughn ('19) and Crochet ('20). The White Sox also are the lone team with every one of their first-round selections since '18 on their Opening Day roster.

• Crochet is in charge of snacks for the bullpens, meaning he has to carry a SpongeBob-shaped yellow backpack out to the field for each game. The snacks include Snickers, Twix, Starburst and Skittles, per Crochet.

“I wouldn’t say I rose to the role. I would say I arrived at that point,” said a smiling Crochet. “But it’s nice to be in charge of something.”

They Said It
“You want to really emphasize to your position players that you want to get early wins, but you have to accumulate wins over six months. We have four games left on the road trip, so that’s an opportunity for four wins. Starting slow is not the goal after all the work we put in during Spring Training.” -- La Russa

“Confidence, if it’s a true confidence, I don’t think will ever waiver. I feel like that’s what our bullpen possesses. Everybody will have a bad day now and again. It’s something you have to accept when you play baseball. I would say the confidence in the bullpen is still there for everybody, 100 percent.” -- Crochet