Finally healthy, Pirates' 2021 draftee shows off highly anticipated knack for the game during breakout
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Few prospects epitomize the phrase "natural athlete" better than Lonnie White Jr.
The Pirates' No. 25 prospect was a three-sport star in high school (baseball, basketball, football) and a four-star football recruit set to attend Penn State and compete on both the gridiron and the diamond. When Pittsburgh selected him with the No. 64 overall pick in 2021 -- a Draft class that also featured fellow multisport standout Bubba Chandler -- the club was dreaming on his dynamic combination of size and speed.
Then the injuries started.
White played just two games in what was supposed to be his first full season as a pro in 2022 due to elbow and hamstring injuries. In 2023, he missed the first two months of the season while recovering from thumb surgery. Not only was the Pennsylvania native dealing with the transition to the pros and commitment to baseball full time, he was doing so with minimal game action.
"He spent more time on the IL than he did on the field," said Pirates area scout Dan Radcliff, who helped sign White in 2021. "That was a huge setback. A player needs their at-bats. They need to be on the field so they can get in a rhythm and he just never could."
Radcliff has monitored White's progress since he first saw him in 2018. At that time, he was scouting future Dodger Chris Newell at Malvern, but his prep teammate White -- only a freshman -- caught his eye.
"It's like, 'Is that guy Draft-eligible?'" Radcliff said. "You find out he's a freshman and it's like, 'Oh, boy.' He could throw. He could run. There was power already. He was physically bigger than you'd think for a freshman."
Now in his fifth pro campaign, the 23-year-old has finally been able to put those tools on display. White has already played a career-high 104 games this season while reaching Double-A Altoona for the first time. He has belted 25 homers, stolen 20 bases and slashed .278/.383/.535 between High-A and Double-A. So far, he's the only player in the Pirates' system with a 20/20 season secured.
"He's profiling to what I thought," Radcliff said. "A guy that can impact the lineup and produce not only with home runs and driving in runs, but also stealing bases and playing defense. Pretty much the five-tool guy that you want."
Standing 6-feet-2 and 212 pounds, White's natural gifts are his biggest strength. He uses his speed to expertly patrol the outfield, where he profiles as a plus center fielder. His plus raw power plays specifically to the pull side. In 2026, he's delivered three multihomer games.
While the tools jump off the page, White's bat could still use some refinement. He has 132 strikeouts while walking just 64 times this season. The swing-and-miss could be a direct result of his sporadic time on the field over the years, but it could also portend the need for other adjustments.
"This is a young man that when he wanted to do something, he figured it out and did it," Radcliff said. "He's a smart kid. It doesn't take a whole lot for him to figure things out."
When White was younger, he taught himself how to ride a bike and play the piano. Becoming a full-time baseball player is just his latest challenge.
Now nearing the end of his first full season, White has transitioned from a "what-if" prospect to an emerging talent.
"This is the Lonnie White we were drafting," Radcliff said. "You can see the confidence and everything growing with him. I think he's starting to hit his stride, and I think there's even more to come."