The Marlins clearly agreed. They drafted the Massachusetts prep 35th overall as the top southpaw in his class. His $4.1 million bonus was equivalent to mid first-round money.
White stands 6-foot-5 and has filled out his frame and modified his repertoire in pro ball to make him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. As a 19-year-old in 2024, he quickly pitched his way to High-A while striking out 120 batters in 96 innings at two stops.
As with most young lefthanders, especially tall ones with power stuff, White will need to tighten his control and command.
Given the Marlins’ success in terms of cultivating young pitchers, there is no reason to believe White will fall short of expectations.
1 THOMAS WHITE LHP
Born: September 29, 2004. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-5. WT: 230. Drafted: HS—Andover, MA, 2023 (1st round supplemental). Signed by: Alex Smith.
TRACK RECORD: White was the clear-cut best lefthanded pitching prospect in the 2023 draft class. Despite falling to the supplemental round, he signed for a well over-slot $4.1 million as the 35th overall pick. He was sensational in his first full season in 2024, striking out nearly 30% of batters with a 2.81 ERA across two Class A levels. He also made strides with his strike-throwing, though he still walked 9.2% of batters faced. Encouragingly, he improved both from a run prevention and a control standpoint after his midseason promotion to High-A Beloit.
SCOUTING REPORT: White has a long, gangly frame, standing at 6-foot-5 with plenty of room to fill out. However, he already has stuff that doesn’t require any projection. He uses a short arm stroke that comes out of his back pocket and a delivery that stays upright through release. Both present small concerns for future durability, but they also make for an awkward, uncomfortable look for the hitter. His fastball sits 94-98 mph with ride and late armside run. In high school, White threw a curveball that had hard, slurvy break. A little more than a month into the 2024 season, he switched his breaking ball to an 80-84 mph slider with sweepier break that fit more naturally to his arm slot, and the results with that pitch were immediate. It’s a hellish pitch to even make contact with, and hitters will fly out of their helmets hacking away at it. White completes his arsenal with a mid-80s changeup which, while a bit inconsistent, shows above-average fade and depth. All three pitches are capable of putting hitters away. White’s biggest issue in his profile is control and command. He will likely never be a pitch-to-the-corners guy, and his main goal right now is just getting his pitches in the zone. His walk rate wasn’t terrible in 2024, but he falls behind in counts too often. In combination with the amount of whiffs and fouls he generates, he’s currently too inefficient to pitch deep into games, something he’ll need to improve upon if he wants to be an ace. However, he shows a competitive streak and locks in with runners on in key situations.
THE FUTURE: White has all of the ingredients to be a top-of-rotation starter, and his profile shares many similarities with Blake Snell. He projects to be a high-strikeout arm with plenty of weapons for both sides of the plate, with enough strikes to make it work. He’s projectable and just turned 20, meaning that his stuff could go from elite to otherworldly. He looks poised to reach Double-A before his 21st birt...
White stands 6-foot-5 and has filled out his frame and modified his repertoire in pro ball to make him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. As a 19-year-old in 2024, he quickly pitched his way to High-A while striking out 120 batters in 96 innings at two stops.
As with most young lefthanders, especially tall ones with power stuff, White will need to tighten his control and command.
Given the Marlins’ success in terms of cultivating young pitchers, there is no reason to believe White will fall short of expectations.
1 THOMAS WHITE LHP
Born: September 29, 2004. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-5. WT: 230. Drafted: HS—Andover, MA, 2023 (1st round supplemental). Signed by: Alex Smith.
TRACK RECORD: White was the clear-cut best lefthanded pitching prospect in the 2023 draft class. Despite falling to the supplemental round, he signed for a well over-slot $4.1 million as the 35th overall pick. He was sensational in his first full season in 2024, striking out nearly 30% of batters with a 2.81 ERA across two Class A levels. He also made strides with his strike-throwing, though he still walked 9.2% of batters faced. Encouragingly, he improved both from a run prevention and a control standpoint after his midseason promotion to High-A Beloit.
SCOUTING REPORT: White has a long, gangly frame, standing at 6-foot-5 with plenty of room to fill out. However, he already has stuff that doesn’t require any projection. He uses a short arm stroke that comes out of his back pocket and a delivery that stays upright through release. Both present small concerns for future durability, but they also make for an awkward, uncomfortable look for the hitter. His fastball sits 94-98 mph with ride and late armside run. In high school, White threw a curveball that had hard, slurvy break. A little more than a month into the 2024 season, he switched his breaking ball to an 80-84 mph slider with sweepier break that fit more naturally to his arm slot, and the results with that pitch were immediate. It’s a hellish pitch to even make contact with, and hitters will fly out of their helmets hacking away at it. White completes his arsenal with a mid-80s changeup which, while a bit inconsistent, shows above-average fade and depth. All three pitches are capable of putting hitters away. White’s biggest issue in his profile is control and command. He will likely never be a pitch-to-the-corners guy, and his main goal right now is just getting his pitches in the zone. His walk rate wasn’t terrible in 2024, but he falls behind in counts too often. In combination with the amount of whiffs and fouls he generates, he’s currently too inefficient to pitch deep into games, something he’ll need to improve upon if he wants to be an ace. However, he shows a competitive streak and locks in with runners on in key situations.
THE FUTURE: White has all of the ingredients to be a top-of-rotation starter, and his profile shares many similarities with Blake Snell. He projects to be a high-strikeout arm with plenty of weapons for both sides of the plate, with enough strikes to make it work. He’s projectable and just turned 20, meaning that his stuff could go from elite to otherworldly. He looks poised to reach Double-A before his 21st birt...
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Baseball America (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2024