CLEVELAND — For right-hander Mike Vasil, this season has been about embracing the unknown.
He joined the White Sox after spring training, when the club claimed him from the Rays. Joining the Sox as the season was starting made for a quick transition.
He isn’t surprised at how he has performed in the majors, but he’s pleased with how it has worked out. Vasil, 25, has a 2.53 ERA in 92⅔ innings and has been used as an opener, a bulk pitcher and a closer on occasion.
“It’s working out in terms of a dream scenario of how I’d want my season to go,” he told the Sun-Times.
Vasil has adjusted and acclimated to different roles, and his personality has been welcomed in the Sox’ clubhouse. Manager Will Venable said Vasil has been a “vocal leader,” which is rare for a young guy.
“We’ve asked him to pitch in a number of different roles, and it seems like he always comes through,” Venable said. “The bigger the moment, the more he wants the challenges of those late-inning assignments.”
Vasil has four saves and three holds and has pitched three innings or more 15 times. Going back and forth between different roles has required him to learn various routines. When he knows he’s going to be operating in a bulk role, Vasil makes sure to throw right as the first inning starts if there’s an opener in front of him. When he’s in a relief role, his routine is lighter, ensuring he’s at his best later in the game.
Figuring out that daily balance depends on his workload and how he feels each day. He said that being in a big-league clubhouse has taught him that no one routine works for every player. Instead of inquiring about other people’s routines, he’s more focused on how to endure his first full season.
“If I throw multiple innings, I know I’m not gonna pitch for probably a couple [of] days,” Vasil said. “You want to finish as strong as possible, so a lot of it is like managing [my] throwing, as well.”
Vasil relishes the variability of his role.
“It looks different every day, but at the same time, I like having the unpredictability of when I’m going to [pitch] because I get a big adrenaline jump, and then I’m really ready for the outing,” Vasil said.
During the second half, Vasil, who was a starter last season at the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, primarily has operated in two-inning stints after the Sox used him in bulk roles more in the first half.
He has good stuff but doesn’t strike out many batters — his 19.3% strikeout rate was in the 25th percentile among major-league pitchers entering Saturday. But Vasil knows how to get batters to hit ground balls — his 51.4% ground-ball rate was in the 87th percentile.
Vasil has enjoyed the Sox’ strong finish after a rough first half, and he has become a pitcher who can be relied on late in games, just another twist in the journey in his first major-league season.
“[Since] the start of spring, I’ve had a wild ride, and now, all of a sudden, it’s September,” Vasil said. “It’s crazy to think [about] that.”