A 2016 second-rounder out of Santa Clara, White was the Broncos' highest selection since Randy Winn 21 years earlier and signed for a well below-slot $590,800. When former Dodgers vice president of baseball operations (now Braves GM) Alex Anthopoulos saw him in his first Spring Training the next year, he remarked that White's stuff looked worthy of a No. 1 overall pick. He has yet to stay healthy for a full season in pro ball, however, and got hammered while dealing with blister problems last year in Triple-A.
White's stuff was sharp at the beginning of 2019, when he dominated in Double-A. His fastball ranged from 92-97 mph with natural cutting action, and he backed it up with a mid-80s slider with late bite and a high-spin curveball with downer break. But he had trouble adjusting to the big league balls used in Triple-A, where his heater sat more at 90-93 and his breaking pitches were more ordinary.
White is working to refine a changeup to give him a pitch that runs away from left-handers, who slugged .507 against him last year. In order to reach his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter, he needs to avoid nagging injuries and do a better job of repeating his delivery to maintain quality and command with his pitches. If he can't, he could be useful as a bullpen option.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
When former Dodgers vice president of baseball operations (now Braves GM) Alex Anthopoulos saw White during his first Spring Training as a pro, he remarked that White had the stuff worthy of a No. 1 overall pick. In actuality, he was a 2016 second-rounder out of Santa Clara, the Broncos' highest pick since Randy Winn in 1995, and he signed for a well-below-slot $590,800. White advanced to Double-A and continued to dazzle with his fastball and breaking pitches in 2017, though he wasn't as sharp last year after missing the first month with a sore arm.
At his best, White features a 92-97 mph fastball with natural run and sink, an overpowering slider that climbs into the upper 80s with late bite and a hammer curveball. He spent the early part of 2018 working in the low 90s and with more ordinary sliders and curves, though his stuff picked back up later in the season. He also can morph his slider into a harder and equally nasty cutter and is working to refine a changeup to counteract left-handers.
White sometimes battles his delivery and command but did a better job of repeating his mechanics and finding the strike zone during the second half of 2018. He has the upside of a mid-rotation starter who can generate more than his share of swings and misses as well as ground-ball contact. He also could be a high-leverage reliever who could concentrate on attacking hitters with his fastball and breaking balls.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50
White had Tommy John surgery after graduating from high school in 2013 and served as a reliever at Santa Clara as a redshirt freshman two years later before surging up Draft boards after moving into the Broncos' rotation in 2016. The Dodgers selected him 65th overall, Santa Clara's highest pick since Randy Winn went in the same spot 21 years earlier, and signed him for a well below-slot $590,800. He advanced to Double-A in his first full pro season but his progress has been slowed in 2018 by a sore arm that sidelined him for the first month.
When former Dodgers vice president of baseball operations (now Braves GM) Alex Anthopoulos saw him in Spring Training one day last year, he remarked that White had the type of stuff that would fit a No. 1 overall pick. His fastball sat around 90 mph at the start of 2016 but now operates at 92-97 mph and plays up with natural sink and run. That's not necessarily his best pitch because he also possesses a power slider with late bite that can reach 88 mph, and he also has the ability to morph it into an even harder and equally effective cutter.
White also has a curveball that can be a true hammer at times, and after focusing on his breaking pitches in 2017, he'll work to refine his changeup this year. He also needs to sharpen his control and command, and he has the athleticism and sound delivery to do so. He generates a ton of swings and misses as well as weak contact, with 61 percent of the batters he faced in his first two pro seasons either striking out or grounding out against him.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Cutter: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
The Dodgers took redshirt sophomores with consecutive early-round picks in the 2016 Draft, and second-rounder White outperformed supplemental first-rounder Jordan Sheffield in their debuts by posting a spotless ERA with 30 strikeouts in 22 innings. White had Tommy John surgery after graduating from high school in 2013 and saw his velocity and prospect stock soar after he moved into Santa Clara's rotation last spring. He went 65th overall, making him the highest Broncos pick since Randy Winn went in the same spot in 1995, and signed for a well below-slot $590,800.
White opened 2016 with his fastball sitting around 90 mph but started hitting the mid-90s toward the end of the college season and worked at 92-96 in pro ball. His heater plays up because of its natural life, but his best pitch is an upper-80s cutter that can be unhittable. His downer curveball should be at least a solid offering, while his changeup is more of a work in progress.
With his athleticism, sound delivery and strong build, White has the necessary ingredients to remain a starting pitcher. He has no trouble throwing strikes but still is refining his command, which continues to improve as he gets more innings and puts his elbow reconstruction further behind him.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Cutter: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
A pop-up player who burst on the Draft scene late this spring, White had Tommy John surgery after graduating from high school and redshirted in his first year at Santa Clara before making his college debut as a reliever in 2015. He moved into the Broncos rotation this spring and got better as the season went along, finishing among the NCAA Division I leaders in strikeouts (118, 16th) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.5, 11th). The Dodgers took him at No. 65 overall in the second round, making him the highest Santa Clara pick since Randy Winn went in the same spot (as a third-rounder) in 1995 and signed him for a well-below-slot $590,800.
White started hitting the mid 90s with his fastball at the end of his redshirt sophomore season, and he could do so more consistently in the future. He usually operates at 90-94 mph with life on his heater. Los Angeles believes both his upper-80s cutter and his downer curveball have the upside to become plus pitches, while his changeup is much more of a work in progress.
White has had no trouble finding the strike zone since returning from his elbow construction, though his command still needs some refinement. He has an athletic build suited for starting.
