Who is Declan Cronin? White Sox's talented pitcher and chess player to make MLB debut vs Guardians

The Declan Cronin era has officially begun for the Chicago White Sox. The 25-year-old from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, has been promoted to the MLB and is set to make his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians.

The relief pitcher was promoted to the Chicago White Sox on Friday, after appearing in 44.2 innings with the Charlotte Knights at the Triple-A level. Declan Cronin will hope to fill a void left by Reynaldo Lopez, who was traded to the Los Angeles Angels earlier this week.

Not only is the relief pitcher a talented baseball player, but he is also an avid chess player. According to MLB Insider Jeff Passan, Cronin was in the middle of an online chess match when his Triple-A manager, Justin Jirschele, knocked on the door.

He was there to inform Cronin that he had been called up to the minors and was there to congratulate him. Passan also noted that Declan Cronin had timed out of the online chess match, costing him the victory. However, a promotion to the MLB may have been worth it.

Declan Cronin was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 36th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. The odds of a player being drafted so late reaching the MLB are low, however, Cronin has worked his way through various minor league levels to reach the show.

Declan Cronin will help usher in a new era of Chicago White Sox baseball

The 25-year-old may be one of many prospects getting their shot to prove themselves at the major league level as the Chicago White Sox are in the middle of a veteran fire sale.

The White Sox have already traded the likes of Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, opening the door for Cronin. Through 177.1 innings in the minor leagues, Cronin owns a 10-6 record with a 3.86 ERA and 144 strikeouts.