LSU's Tommy White selected with No. 40 pick in MLB Draft
LSU third baseman Tommy White put together two explosive seasons at the plate at LSU and entered Sunday night’s MLB Draft as a highly touted talent.
With the 40th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, White was selected by the Oakland Athletics, giving Jay Johnson and LSU another first round pick in his tenure with the Tigers.
White is a 6-foot-1 right handed batter from Florida who broke records as a freshman with 27 home runs at North Carolina State. Then, in two years at LSU, White hit 48 home runs, had 175 RBIs, and averaged .374 as a sophomore and .330 as a junior.
“He’s one of my favorite non-top 11 guys in the Draft,” MLB.com’s Jim Callis recently said about White. “Everybody thinks about the power, but I think he’s a really underrated hitter. He keeps making more contact each year. I’m a really big Tommy White fan.”
White was ranked No. 20 in the MLB.com prospect rankings and No. 29 in ESPN with his bat carrying the a ton of upside as he enters the league.
“Tommy White isn’t a perfect prospect,” Brian Murphy of MLB.com said. “His average arm strength and agility give rise to questions about his ability to stick at third base. His 30-grade speed won’t provide much value on the basepaths… But boy, can he hit. And hit. And hit. White consistently posts high exit velocities and relatively low strikeout totals. His 60-grade power may be his top tool, but his overall ability as a hitter is what makes him worthy of a first-round pick.
White had several incredible moments in the purple and gold, with the one lasting memory being his walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th against Wake Forest in the semifinal of the College World Series in 2023, sending the Tigers to the College World Series Final. LSU eventually went on to win the championship and go down in history as one of the great teams of this century.
LSU head coach Jay Johnson raved about White’s talent level and commitment time after time in the two years he was in Baton Rouge and now White is headed to take on the MLB.
“He’s special,” Johnson said. “The competitive nature is second to none. When he steps in the batter’s box, it’s something else. We saw that to the tune of 105 RBIs last year and it was always when we needed it. The drive to be as good as he possibly can and it’s served him well. He had surgery on his shoulder right after Omaha, missed the entire fall, but kept his body in a great spot, took exceptional step in leadership during that time. I’m super proud of Tommy for that and then he’s rehabbed in a way where he’s ready to go. You wouldn’t know he didn’t take an at-bat for six months. Complete is the word I would use. Super excited about him being here again.”
