Pirates’ Lonnie White Jr. Could Be Ready To Break Out After Late Surge
In the first inning of the Pirates’ Spring Breakout game, Lonnie White Jr. was down in the count against Orioles lefthander Cade Povich.
Facing a 1-2 count, White adjusted to a low changeup, hitting a line drive into left field to load the bases. Pirates farm director John Baker highlighted the moment as a standout for the outfield prospect.
“You saw a guy make an adjustment mid at-bat, hit a line drive, keep the inning going,” said Baker, who also noted how advanced the adjustment was from someone with only a few hundred plate appearances in professional baseball.
The Pirates drafted White in the second round in 2021 out of Malvern Prep in the Philadelphia area. They went over slot to sign him for $1.5 million and break a two-sport commitment to Penn State.
White dealt with a few injuries to start his pro career. He injured his thumb in a slide and also dealt with a hamstring injury. For a player who previously split his time between baseball and football, the Pirates chalked his early injuries up to the full-time adjustment to baseball.
“Stand around in spikes for six hours a day sometimes, that’s a different thing,” Baker said. “The amount of throwing, the amount of swinging. But his body’s made the adjustment.”
White made it onto the field in the second half of the 2023 season, getting his first extended professional playing time for Low-A Bradenton. After a few weeks, he became one of the best hitters in the Pirates’ system.
From Aug. 1 through the end of the season, White hit .286/.409/.581 with six home runs in 28 games.
The Pirates like White for his high aptitude and thinking ability, which keeps him from making the same mistake twice. This combination also allows him to develop quickly, making up for lost time from the injuries.
The Pirates expect White to be one of the more promising hitters to follow in the lower levels of their system this year.
BURIED TREASURE
— Garrett Forrester, drafted in the third round in 2023 out of Oregon State, has been converted to catcher. He was a first baseman with some of the most advanced swing decisions in the Pirates’ draft. He mentioned to the Pirates that he has caught before, though he hadn’t played the position in college. After some trials in front of the organization’s catching development staff, the club decided to convert him behind the plate, where his high contact and plate patience skills play better.
— Righthander David Matoma, whom the Pirates signed in January 2023 out of Uganda, was hitting triple digits in minor league camp. The 6-foot Matoma turned 18 years old in February. He threw 16.2 scoreless innings in the Dominican Summer League in his pro debut last year. Matoma had an 89-92 mph fastball when he signed, but he quickly bumped up his velocity. Aside from the triple-digit heat, Matoma also features a slider that has shown to be a swing-and-miss pitch. He’s expected to make the jump to the U.S. in 2024.
