Don't overlook Heuer in White Sox's deep bullpen
Codi Heuer was shockingly good for the White Sox last season.
Not surprisingly, the young relief pitcher wants to be even better this year.
"You don't want to get complacent, you don't want to assume anything," Heuer said. "You just put your work in and take care of your business like you're still fighting for that job."
Expected to open the 2020 season at Class AAA Charlotte or AA Birmingham after splitting the previous year between high A Winston-Salem and Double-A, Heuer's journey to the Sox was put on hold when COVID-19 shut down the game just over a year ago.
Like every other professional baseball player, Heuer (pronounced HOYER) had over three months of down time before MLB teams opened summer training camp.
He was ready when the White Sox reunited at Guaranteed Rate Field in early July, and Heuer wound up making a significant impact out of the bullpen after claiming a roster spot.
In 21 appearances as a rookie, the right-hander was 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 23⅔ innings. Heuer ranked third among American League in wins, sixth in ERA and seventh in opposing batting average (.145).
"Codi was really a glue piece last year that I don't think was talked about as much as it should have been," said Sox reliever Aaron Bummer. "That guy goes out there and throws in the high 90s with plus command, plus action on his pitches. To me, he's a guy that's going to be extremely good for a really long time.
"If he's able to kind of repeat what he was able to do last year and continue to grow, that's an extreme high-leverage arm that has all-star, closer, that type of potential to add to the back end of our pen."
With new closer Liam Hendriks, Bummer, Evan Marshall and future starters Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet also in the White Sox's bullpen, it's easy to overlook Heuer.
The Sox are well aware of what they have in the 24-year-old reliever.
"I wouldn't want to catch him, and I wouldn't want to hit against him," manager Tony La Russa said. "The ball jumps out of his hand, he has great action. For a young guy he's not afraid. He has very strong, competitive cool, which is a wonderful trait in the bullpen especially when you've got an arm like he has."
After his successful debut last year, Heuer added 12 pounds to his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame.
"I spent a lot of time this offseason putting on some good weight and getting stronger," Heuer said. "It is a little bit of a different mindset for me. Coming into this camp, I didn't have to be quite as ready because I wasn't really fighting for a spot like I was last year, or at least it didn't feel like it. But I still wanted to come into camp as ready as possible, and it's been good so far."