Lonnie White Jr.
Position: OF
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 212 pounds
Level: Double-A Altoona
Notable: One of the Pirates’ most promising prospects appears to be hitting his stride. Lonnie White Jr., who the Pirates drafted 64th overall in the competitive balance round in 2021, was promoted to Double-A Altoona this week after a strong start at the plate for High-A Greensboro.
The 23-year-old outfielder is batting .298 this season with seven homers, 19 RBIs and nine stolen bases.
It was a welcomed sign after a slow start to the promising athlete’s minor league career that was derailed by injury.
White was a Penn State football and baseball recruit out of Malvern Prep High School who the Pirates signed over slot value.
Injuries limited him to just 11 games total in 2021 and ‘22. He played a full season at Low-A Bradenton in 2023 when he hit .259 with eight homers and 30 RBIs.
White then spent the past two seasons with High-A Greensboro, batting .220 last year with 12 homers and 39 RBIs.
He got off to a hot start this season with the Grasshoppers, leading to his promotion to Altoona
His career stats include 45 homers and 150 RBIs with a .224 batting average.
White, the Pirates’ No. 12 prospect, is a plus runner and defender in center field who has shown some power at the plate to go along with his speed on the basepaths.
Last week, he was 3 for 5 with two home runs in a 13-6 win over the Rome Emperors.