Seattle Mariners top ten prospects for 2020
By David Hill
3. Evan White
Minors (AA): 400 plate appearances, .293/.350/.488, 13 doubles, 18 homers, 29 walks, 92 strikeouts
Evan White may have just four games above AA, all of which came in 2018, but that did not stop the Seattle Mariners from locking him in for the long term.
The beneficiary of a surprising six year extension worth a minimum of $24 million, White is seemingly locked in as the Mariners Opening Day first baseman for the coming season. Even if he struggles in Spring Training and needs a month or two in AAA to get ready for the majors, his time is set to come sooner than later.
While signing any player to a long term extension has its risks, let alone one that has never played a major league game, it is easy to see why the Mariners would be willing to take such a gamble. White has an advanced feel at the plate, showing an ability to work the count and make consistent hard contact. Although he is more of a line drive hitter at this stage, he has also made adjustments to his batting stance, lowering his hands as he has worked to tap into his latent power potential.
Defensively, it is thought that White could be a Gold Glove caliber player at first. However, he is more than just a first baseman, having played center for Team USA in 2018. Given that profile, the hope is that he can become Seattle’s answer to Cody Bellinger, although he would need to show more pop in his bat.
The Seattle Mariners are convinced that Evan White is a long term part of their quest to return to the postseason. If they prove to be correct, that early extension will be a bargain.