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Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 25: What Can Lonnie White Jr. Do With Healthy Season?

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Lonnie White Jr,. Pittsburgh Pirates, Pirates prospects

This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.



Lonnie White Jr. became one of the more interesting draft picks when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft.

White, a highly-touted high school football recruit as a wide receiver, committed to play collegiately at Penn State over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Tennessee and many others.

The athleticism was one of the reasons the Pirates selected White in the early rounds, and it took a hefty $1.5 million signing bonus (nearly $500,000 overslot) to pry him away from his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

White has the physical attributes and tools that any team would desire. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 212 pounds. He has top-tier speed, is really good defensively with a strong arm and has true raw power with the bat in his hands.

But injuries have hampered White throughout his minor league career. He played in nine games after he was drafted and appeared in only two with the FCL Pirates in 2022. White began the 2023 season back in the FCL and played 44 games with Low-A Bradenton and dealt with more injuries.

When he was on the field, White showed flashes. After his promotion to Bradenton, the right-handed hitter slashed .259/.395/.488 with 11 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and went 12 for 13 in stolen base attempts.

White’s performance with Bradenton last season resulted in him getting bumped up to High-A Greensboro for 2024. He had two more stints on the injured list this past season but played in a career-high 89 games with the Grasshoppers.

Unfortunately for White, the increased availability didn’t translate to desired results. The 21-yearold was well below the Mendoza line with a .167 batting average and a .614 OPS in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League. White finished with a career-high 14 home runs and 44 RBIs to go along with 15 steals.

White’s regression this season is a discouraging sign as he consistently performed well when he wasn’t sidelined with injuries during the first three seasons of his professional career. His 34.4% strikeout rate is quite alarming.

Improving his contact skills will be what propels White, as will his ability to stay on the field. He already has the defense, speed and raw power. If he can finally have his first fully-healthy season in 2025, maybe he’ll be able to finally put it all together.

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