Dallas Keuchel is an established veteran on the White Sox roster. He has a long list of accolades that include a Cy Young award winner, two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. Most importantly he has a championship ring on his finger.  It is safe to say that his opinion carries some weight in the White Sox clubhouse. Keuchel's influence is especially felt on the White Sox pitching staff. It is a talented pitching staff that includes some big-time arms. The list of names is highlighted by guys such as Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet, whose fastballs light up the radar gun. Or Dylan Cease who has stuff that is good enough to turn heads. Lucas Giolito is another name who is emerging as one of the games best starting pitchers. Lance Lynn is a bona fined workhorse. Meanwhile, the bullpen has guys like Aaron Bummer who has a sinker that Ethan Katz called 'the most impressive thing he has ever seen'. It also includes Liam Hendriks who was named the best relief pitcher in baseball by MLB Network. I have yet to mention power arms Carlos Rodon, Codi Heuer, and Matt Foster who could also make a large impact this season. During his first media session of spring training, Keuchel was asked about who stands out in this elite pitching staff. He could have easily gone with a name from that illustrious list above. He opted to go a different route.

A Glowing Review From Keuchel

"I'm real, real high on Jimmy Lambert, he's one of my favorites out of the out of the whole group, I look at the little things in guys, especially young guys that have a little bit of the knowledge upstairs."

Keuchel was not done praising Lambert. He was especially impressed with what Lambert can do despite his smaller stature. "When you're talking about talent, there's guys that stand out to you. Like Garrett, he's throwing 97, but he's also 6-4, 6-5, or even bigger than that. With Jimmy, if you see him on the street, you don't really see him as a prototypical athlete, but the competitive edge is there and the knowledge is there. The way the ball comes out of his hand, it's so heavy. You don't expect that from a guy who's sitting 6-foot and 180." "He's got three plus pitches that, at an early age, is advanced. And I think the mental mindset is also there. So I'm anxious for him to have a healthy full season in there to see what he's going to be." Keuchel then began to pump the brakes as if he was worried that he had reviled too much about the White Sox best-kept secret.

"I probably shouldn't say a lot in the media because other teams might want to trade for him."

That sounds something Lambert's agent would say not a veteran starting pitcher. This is  what makes Keuchel's praise so eye opening. The two have gotten to know each other over the past year and Lambert has made sure to pick Keuchel's brain. Lambert is putting that knowledge to good use and hopes to crack the major league roster at some point this season.

Jimmy Lambert's Role In 2021

Jimmy Lambert broke summer camp with the team last season. He pitched two appearances out of the bullpen before going down with a forearm injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. This was not the first time Lambert has been robbed of a season due to injury. In 2019 he underwent Tommy John surgery after eleven starts. The reason he is so highly regarded in the White Sox farm system is what he showed in 2018. He posted a 3.67 ERA for the season, split between Class-A Winston Salem and Double-A Birmingham. The right-hander had a 2.88 ERA in Birmingham in his final five starts of the season. He was also a strikeout machine recording them at a 10.3K/9 clip. In all, he had 110 over the course of 95.2 innings. He was recently optioned to the minor leagues but that does not mean he can't make an impact on the big league roster this season. You can never have enough pitching depth. If someone gets injured you can plug Lambert in the bullpen or as an emergency starter. All the extra attention he got during camp should serve as a confidence booster and extra motivation for the 26-year old. If Keuchel's scouting report is any indication, don't be surprised if you began to hear a lot more of Jimmy Lambert down the road.