White showcases his power for A's in Spring Breakout
Martin Gallegos
@MartinJGallegosPEORIA, Ariz. -- There＊s a reason Tommy White earned the nickname ※Tommy Tanks§ in college, and in his first Spring Breakout, he showed why.
Starting at third base for the Athletics at Peoria Sports Complex, White showed off his 60-grade power in a 5-2 victory over the Padres. The A＊s No. 8 prospect launched an impressive opposite-field solo home run off Padres No. 5 prospect Boston Bateman.
Most impressive about White＊s solo shot 每- which was roped 104 mph off the bat and traveled a Statcast-projected 368 feet 每- was that he caught the 2-1 sinker from Bateman off the end of his bat. Nobody in the stadium, White included, expected it to go out, but the ball just kept sailing until it landed in the Padres bullpen.
※I was actually trying to find the ball when I hit it,§ White said. ※It was a surreal moment. Just an adrenaline rush. Once I hit the ball, I was just trying to find it, and it ended up going [over] the right field wall.§
White is no stranger to hitting dingers. Across three college seasons, beginning at North Carolina State in 2022 and continuing at LSU from 2023-24, he slugged 75 home runs and posted a 1.123 OPS in 187 games.
He was considered one of the best college power hitters of the 2024 MLB Draft, and the A＊s were ecstatic to land him 40th overall in the second round.
White, who turned 22 earlier this month, got his first taste of pro ball last year with Single-A Stockton. In 25 games with the Ports, he hit .224 with two homers, two doubles and 14 RBIs. Beyond the numbers, though, White utilized the experience as an opportunity to get a glimpse of what it takes to compete at the next level.
※It was not the start I wanted,§ White said. ※But it was really cool to get my feet wet. All throughout last year, I＊m just trying to use everything I learned as a tool for this year.§
The only thing more breathtaking than seeing White's tremendous display of power might have been his bling. As he rounded the bases following his homer, a gold chain with an oddly-shaped emblem bounced around his neck.
After the game, White gave a full reveal of his mysterious-looking necklace. Turns out, the figure is a hogfish, which is White＊s favorite fish to catch in the offseason back home in Florida.
※I think it＊s the best tasting fish in the ocean,§ White said. ※This is what I spend my offseasons trying to get. ＃ I got second place in a fishing tournament and there was a pop-up jeweler at the [event] and she said she did specialty fish chains. I love fishing, so it was a perfect match.§
Here are some other notable A＊s performances from Friday＊s Spring Breakout:
Luis Morales: The A＊s No. 5 prospect fired two hitless innings and allowed just one walk with two strikeouts. The 22-year-old right-hander topped out at 97.5 mph with his fastball, and both of his punchouts came on his wipeout slider.
Gunnar Hoglund: The A＊s No. 16 prospect made a strong impression in big league camp, and that carried over to Spring Breakout as he racked up four strikeouts across two perfect innings of relief. He showed off a fastball that sat 95-96 mph, and an improved changeup that finished off two of his punchouts, including one of Padres No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries.
Nick Kurtz: Rated the A＊s No. 2 prospect and the No. 38 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Kurtz had the loudest hit of the afternoon when he led off the fifth inning with a booming double off the center-field wall that was tagged at an exit velocity of 110.9 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 417 feet.
Max Muncy: Following White＊s homer, the A＊s No. 7 prospect roped a slicing liner to right field and raced around the bases for a triple. He came around to score later in the inning on a groundout by A＊s No. 6 prospect Denzel Clarke, who stole a base and made a pair of impressive running catches in center field.