School: Phillips Academy; Class: Senior
Position: LHP; B/T: L/L
Height: 6-6; Weight: 210
Previously Drafted: N/A
College Commitment: Vanderbilt University
| FB | CB | CH | Command | Overall |
| 60 | 55 | 50 | 45/50 | 55 |
Background: There’s really no other way to start this off than this: “He’s the most talented pitcher at that age I’ve seen anywhere. And I’ve been everywhere, man.” The quip (which comes from a Boston Globe article by Mac Cerullo on 06/11/2023) is from Kevin Graber, a baseball lifer who’s worked in the Cape Cod League, in the Yankees’ organization as an associate scout and, currently, as the Cubs’ Double-A Manager. Graber, of course, also spent parts of 14-plus years at Phillips Academy, White’s soon to be alma mater.
And the statistics back up that scouting. Well, at least it adds credence to it.
Thanks to the COVID pandemic, White, like all of the 2023 class, lost his freshman campaign. But he had non issues transitioning to high school ball as a sophomore.
Making five appearances for the Big Blue, the massive 6-foot-6, 210-pound southpaw tossed 16.2 innings with 36 punch outs, 12 walks, and a tidy 0.84 ERA. White followed that up with an even better performance during his junior season: he threw 27.0 innings with a 58-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio while allowed just one earned run (0.26 ERA). Gatorade named him the Player of the Year for the state of Massachusetts.
For the first time.
This season the big lefty set a career best with 42 innings pitched, striking out 95 and allowing just 10 hits – though he somehow finished with a 1.66 ERA and a 5-2 win-loss record. Gatorade named him the top performer in the state. Again.
Scouting Report: Easy plus mid- to upper-90s fastball to the point it appears like White’s just playing catch. It’s a plus offering with good backend life. He complements the offering with a wickedly slicing curveball, moving from 11-to-5 thanks to his three-quarters arm slot. He’ll also mix in a rare solid average changeup, which he needs to trust more. The command’s not a particularly strength. But it’s fixable. The big lefty lands on his heel with his front foot causing him to close off too early. It’s the same problem Randy Johnson had, among many others. One more thought: he could be a candidate to find another gear on the heater. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him as a Top 10 pick. He may not last long, but he seems like an ideal candidate for the Guardians. But the Reds, Marlins, and White Sox could snag him earlier.
Ceiling: 3.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
Grade: First Round
