When Lucas Giolito first arrived in the White Sox organization there was a palpable buzz around the South Side of Chicago. He entered the 2016 season as the No. 3 prospect in baseball by MLB.com and was joined by other top prospects Reynaldo Lopez, Micheal Kopech, and Yoan Moncada.
That initial wave of players signaled a culture shift for the White Sox. For the first time in years, it seemed like the organization was heading in the right direction. Fans were promised championships and the initial core of Giolito, Lopez, Kopech, and Moncada were going to be the ones that helped get them there.
Flash forward to July 28th and Lucas Giolito is set to make his first start for the Angels after getting traded with Lopez for Minor League catcher Edgar Quera and left-handed pitcher Ky Busch. He will spend the rest of the season playing meaningful games down the stretch while the White Sox continue to search for answers. It was not supposed to end like this.
During his tenure, the White Sox could only muster two playoff wins in seven years, one of which Giolito was responsible for. You could argue that Giolito was the only prospect the White Sox acquired during the 2016 offseason that panned out.
In 162 starts the Santa Monica native posted a 59-52 record with 993 strikeouts and a 4.20 ERA. The numbers might not jump off the page but Giolito’s journey on the White Sox was truly a remarkable one.
As you are well aware from the countless Guaranteed Rate commercials in 2018 Giolito was the worst pitcher in baseball. The following season he lowered his ERA from 6.13 to 3.41, the third-best improvement in MLB history.
In 2020 he threw a no-hitter in an empty stadium and gave people watching at home something to celebrate during a time when they were forced to be separated from life.
A few months later he was perfect through six innings in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, retiring the first 18 batters he faced in his first-ever playoff start. When the dust settled he had thrown seven innings of one-run ball and earned the White Sox their first playoff victory since 2008.
The following season he set a career-high with 178.2 innings pitched and struck out 201 batters. It marked his second consecutive full season punching out 200 plus. His 10.13 SO per 9.0 innings were also the sixth-highest total in franchise history.
In 2022 he got the ball for his third consecutive Opening Day start. It wasn’t always pretty but for most of his tenure, Giolito was an ace and always represented the city with class. There were plenty of games where the White Sox effort was in question. With Giolito it was never a question even if the results weren’t always there.
His impact on the team, community, and fans was felt off the field as well. You could often find him taking pictures with fans or signing autographs before games. He served as the White Sox MLB Players Association union representative. In 2022 he visited the Dominican Republic to remove garbage and waste from beaches and raise awareness about recycling infrastructure.
During that time he never once said a bad word about the organization despite three manager changes and constant turmoil around him. He always praised the fans and often lobbied to stay even though it was quite clear that the front office was ready to move off of him when his contract expired.
“White Sox fans are a very wonderful, passionate bunch,” Giolito said. “The excitement they showed when I first came over here in the trade, welcoming me into this organization, this city. Sticking with me through very difficult times, 2018 comes to mind, last year comes to mind.”
Even after getting heckled on his final day in a White Sox uniform Giolito kept it classy on his way out.
Right after getting traded Giolito told MLB.com “I owe this organization so much. This city, the fans, it’s been an absolute pleasure.”
The pleasure was ours, Lucas. Thanks for the memories.
