Likely Opening Day starter is everything wanted in staff ace
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.
