White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech joked that perhaps there will be a benefit to the shorter locks he is sporting during spring training.
“I think it’s more aerodynamic,” he said Saturday from the clubhouse at Camelback Ranch.
The 20-year-old Kopech had spent a year and half growing out his blonde hair, which along with a triple-digit fastball drew comparisons to Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard. But he made the difficult move to cut it just a few days after SoxFest, per manager Rick Renteria’s request.
The Sox occasionally have asked players over the years to keep shorter hair or trim their beards if they are too unkempt, and Kopech figures it’s all part of the initiation into his new club.