Eli White Stats & Scouting Report

AB	39
AVG	.282
OBP	.333
SLG	.436
HR	1

Full name Elijah Thomas White
Born 06/26/1994 in Greenville, SC
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Clemson
Debut 09/01/2020
Drafted in the 11th round (322nd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2016 (signed for $100,000).

View Draft Report

White has long drawn rave reviews for his athleticism, speed and actions at shortstop. The Reds drafted him in the 26th round out of high school and a 37th-rounder last year (Pirates) as an eligible sophomore. Where White has struggled to make an impact is with the bat. He's light on power and hasn't made consistent contact in his college career, and scouts are skeptical he'll be able to hit enough to be an everyday option at the pro level. Still, in a thin college shortstop class, White will get a look. He needs some polish--he made 22 errors this spring--but has the skill set to stick at the position.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Drafted in the late rounds out of both high school and as an eligible sophomore, White returned to Clemson for his junior year in 2016 but hit just .272 with limited power. Intrigued by White's athleticism, the Athletics selected him in the 11th round. He climbed to Double-A Midland in 2018 and began turning tools into skills. He led the Texas League in hits (154), on-base percentage (.388) and runs (81), while ranking second in average (.306), third in walks (62) and fifth in doubles (30).

Scouting Report: White stands as the best pure hitter in Oakland's system and was regarded as the best defensive second baseman in the TL. Plus speed enables him to steal bases and also dabble in center field. The biggest player development challenges facing White are learning to pull the ball and improving his launch angle to hit more home runs. Even if he doesn't, his strong plate discipline and loose swing produce power to the right-center field gap, while an all-fields approach gives him a plus hit tool. A shortstop in college, White tends to be error-prone at the position and profiles best at second base with the requisite range, arm and actions.

The Future: White shares some similarities with Chris Taylor as an athletic college shortstop who runs but isn't quite reliable enough to play shortstop every day. Like Taylor, White looks at home playing second base, third base or outfield, and his bat will determine his ultimate big league role.

Draft Prospects

White has long drawn rave reviews for his athleticism, speed and actions at shortstop. The Reds drafted him in the 26th round out of high school and a 37th-rounder last year (Pirates) as an eligible sophomore. Where White has struggled to make an impact is with the bat. He's light on power and hasn't made consistent contact in his college career, and scouts are skeptical he'll be able to hit enough to be an everyday option at the pro level. Still, in a thin college shortstop class, White will get a look. He needs some polish--he made 22 errors this spring--but has the skill set to stick at the position.
The Reds took a shot at White in the 26th round out of high school, but White opted to attend Clemson. A defense-first player, White logged only 35 at-bats as a freshman. This spring as a sophomore, White won the starting shortstop job with outstanding defensive tools. White shows above-average body control and plus range, and has the potential for an above-average arm. His glove still needs work, but he has a chance to develop into an above-average defensive shortstop. White's offensive game has been slow to catch up, but he came on strong as the season came to a close, and batted just under .300 on the year. White has an unconventional swing, as he gets into a stiff upright position just as the pitcher starts to deliver. He's able to slap away pitches on the corners, and his pitch recognition came a long way this spring, but there are questions about his ability to impact the ball when he's pounded down and inside. A draft-eligible sophomore, White is still relatively new to high-quality competition, and could develop into a serviceable bat, especially considering his high ceiling as a defender.

Minor League Top Prospects

White had even better offensive numbers than his Midland middle-infield counterpart Richie Martin, although his defensive game is built more on versatility than playing a true, plus shortstop. While Martin is a future big league shortstop, White’s best path to the majors is as a versatile, well-rounded infielder who plays multiple spots. Still, White was voted as the best defensive second baseman in the Texas League this season, and he’s proven he can play an adequate shortstop as well as third base and even a playable center field. While that versatility may help him get to the majors, it’ll be White’s improvements at the plate that could help him carve out a regular role. White set career-bests in batting average (.306), on-base percentage (.388), slugging percentage (.450) and walk rate (10.7 percent) in 2018, and he ranked in the top 10 among qualified TL hitters in all of those same categories.