Lonnie White, Jr.
Lonnie White, Jr.
Position: OF
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 212 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 12/31/2002
High School: Malvern (PA) Preparatory School
How Acquired: Draft 2nd Supplemental round, 64th Overall, 2021
Bonus: $1,500,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2025
Minor League Free Agency: 2027
Options Left: 3
Overview
White originally had a baseball commitment to Clemson, but switched to Penn State to play baseball and football. He was a three-sport star in prep school, also playing basketball. His strength and bat speed give him plus power. He’s had swing and miss issues, but not drastic ones. White was one of the fastest players in the draft and should play center at least initially, where he could be above average with a slightly above average arm. Baseball America rated him 32nd among draft prospects. White eventually signed for nearly half a million above the slot value of $1,050,300.
2021-22
Injuries hampered White at the start of his career. After signing, he got into nine games in the FCL, six in center and three in right. In 2022, White had a lost season, missing all but two July games with elbow, hamstring and hip injuries.
2023-24
The injuries started again in 2023, but eventually White showed a lot of what the Pirates hoped they were drafting. He injured a thumb sliding during spring training and had surgery. He made it to the FCL in early June. White initially struggled to make contact, possibly due to the injury, the layoff, or both. After the first couple weeks he started to hit, including a 5-for-5 game, and moved up to Bradenton after a month. In August he started hitting there. He put up a 1.018 OPS in 18 games that month and .937 in ten September games. In those 28 games he had 18 extra base hits and an OBP over .400. For the season, White showed very good patience and reduced his K rate over the last couple months. He played all three outfield positions, but mostly center with Bradenton.
White spent 2024 with Greensboro and had a very rough time as he struggled to make contact. On the plus side, he had only two stints on the injured list totaling a little over three weeks. But he batted just .167 and fanned in 34% of his plate appearances. He continued to show power, with 14 home runs, but he couldn’t get the bat going with any consistency. He had an especially bad time in July and August, batting .097 in the two months combined. Defensively, White played a little over half the time in center.
Stats
Transactions
July 12, 2021: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd Supplemental round, 64th overall pick; signed on July 26.