Former LSU star Tommy White signs MLB contract with Oakland Athletics

Former LSU star Tommy White has inked a Major League Baseball contract with the Oakland Athletics after they selected him in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, White signed for $3 million, well above the listed slot value for his selection at No. 40 overall of $2,332,100. That’s great news for the former Tigers standout.

White won a national title at LSU and put together back-to-back monster seasons for the Tigers en route to becoming a second-round pick.

The former IMG Academy star’s most productive season came in 2023 when he hit .374 with 24 home runs and 105 RBI to help the Tigers to a national championship in his first year with the program.

In 2024, Tommy White’s numbers dropped a bit with a .330 average and 70 RBI, but he still hit 24 home runs to anchor the LSU offense. He also earned Second Team All-American honors from the NCBWA and was a Second Team All-SEC selection.

All told, White leaves Baton Rouge with a decorated resume. In 2023 – while battling through a shoulder injury – he was a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and a College World Series All-Tournament Team selection.

Now with the Athletics, Tommy White will look to make good on his remarkable potential, as detailed by MLB Draft analysts.

MLB Draft analysts evaluate Tommy White

The accolades tell you quite a bit about how good White is as a player, but how will his skills translate to the next level?

MLB.com provided a pretty generous write-up on the newly minted second-round pick just ahead of this year’s draft. It discusses his potential upside quite a bit.

“White continues to stand out with his huge right-handed power to all fields, which he generates with strength, bat speed and an uncanny ability to barrel balls,” MLB.com’s scouting report said. “Known more for his slugging, he’s underrated as a hitter who makes repeated contact with impressive exit velocities. Though he’s overly aggressive and regularly expands his strike zone, he rarely swings and misses.

“As a well-below-average runner with average arm strength, White provides limited value on the bases and in the field. Mostly a DH as a freshman, he has primarily played third base since and likely will wind up at first base in pro ball. He lacks range and is erratic at the hot corner, though he earns praise for gritting through the 2023 season and filling a team need despite his bad shoulder.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.