Alex White
| IP | 149 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.04 |
| WHIP | 1.691 |
| BB/9 | 4.591 |
| SO/9 | 6.101 |
- Full name Alex Bruce White
- Born 08/29/1988 in Greenville, NC
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School North Carolina
- Debut 04/30/2011
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Drafted in the 1st round (15th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2009 (signed for $2,250,000).
View Draft Report
The Dodgers drafted White in the 14th round in 2006 and made a strong run to sign him, but he wound up at North Carolina, spending three seasons in the weekend rotation and emerging as the staff ace as a sophomore. White was electric for the Tar Heels out of the bullpen in the 2008 College World Series, sitting at 96 mph with excellent life on his fastball, and some scouts see him in that role. However, he has shown three plus pitches at times during his career, though not all at once in a somewhat inconsistent junior season. White's arm action varied a bit during the year, starting out a bit high and long in the back, and despite his excellent athleticism this caused him to struggle to command his fastball. The pitch touches the mid-90s and sits in the 91-94 mph range when White starts. His slider, a plus pitch at times, also has lacked consistency, but his split-finger fastball has supplanted it as his best secondary pitch. It has good depth and deception and neutralizes lefthanded hitters. As good as his stuff can be, White's competitiveness and athleticism may be better attributes. With more consistency he could become a front-of-the-rotation starter, though his command may preclude him from being a true big league ace.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The 15th overall pick in the 2009 draft, White signed with the Indians for a slightly over-slot $2.25 million. He made his pro debut in 2010 at high Class A Kinston, near his hometown of Greenville, N.C., and quickly progressed to Double-A. White's velocity fluctuated throughout his first pro season, but he generally sat at 87-92 mph with his two-seam fastball and topped out at 95 mph. His two-seamer has plus sink and he throws it for strikes. When White gets to a two-strike count, he uses his plus splitter to put away both lefties and righties. His main point of emphasis in 2010 was his slider, which showed promise in high school and early in his college career. He'll flash a solid-average slider and is working on mechanical adjustments to stay on top of the pitch and repeat his release more consistently. He's a quality athlete. When the Indians drafted White, they thought he might be a future reliever, but the plan now is to continue to develop him as a starter. The hope is that he can become at least a No. 3 starter, and he has the potential to be more than that. He should begin 2011 in Triple-A and could push for a big league promotion in the second half. -
White passed on signing with the Dodgers as a 14th-round pick in 2006 to attend North Carolina, where he spent three years in the Tar Heels' weekend rotation and two years as their ace. White fell slightly in the 2009 draft because of inconsistency and signability concerns, going 15th overall and signing for $2.25 million at the Aug. 17 deadline. An excellent athlete and competitor, White throws a heavy 91-95 mph fastball with plus sink. His out pitch is his plus splitter, a strong weapon with depth and deception to thwart lefties. His slider has been an inconsistent pitch--some feel he got away from it in college in deference to his splitter to miss more metal bats--but it's an above-average pitch at times. White focused on his slider in instructional league, trying to get more extension out front and later break instead of letting it get long. His command wavered at times in college, and his arm action in the back--which has changed since high school, when his slider was better--concerns some scouts. After initial talk of developing White as a reliever, the Indians plan to bring him through the system as a starter. If he can rediscover his slider he would have the pure stuff to be an above-average starter, though he also could also fit in as a future closer. He'll begin his pro career in high Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Like Gibson, White jumped to Double-A in his first full pro season and had plenty of success. As with Gibson, White's velocity fluctuated as he grinded through a 140-game schedule for the first time, but he flashed 94-95 mph while usually sitting at 87-92. His two-seamer has sink and bore, and he posted a 2.05 groundout/airout ratio as he learned to pitch to contact. His slider remains below-average with some better flashes, and his splitter gives him a second plus pitch and a weapon against lefties, who hit just .231/.288/.349 against him. His competitiveness, athleticism and live arm make him a perfect fit for the bullpen, but the Indians want him to be a starter.
