Marlins' Thomas White Sets Standard for Left-Handed Pitching Prospects
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The Miami Marlins have been active this offseason in trading away pitchers Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Owen Caissie, and Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees for a bundle of four prospects. While it might seem destructive of the pitching staff, it might enhance it.
The Marlins still possess Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer, just to name a few. While the removal of Weathers and Cabrera doesn't seem ideal, it allows Miami to start bringing up some of its top pitching prospects, such as the No.1-ranked left-handed pitching prospect, Thomas White.
Thomas White Leads Southpaw Prospects
According to MLB Pipeline's Left-Handed Pitching Prospect Rankings for 2026, the former first-round draft pick from 2023 ranks as the top pitcher in the category. His growth in 2025 saw him climb the ranks of Miami's farm system, ending up with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at the Triple-A level.
Cumulatively, White's 2025 campaign ended with an ERA of 2.31, a WHIP of 1.18, with 145 strikeouts in 21 games pitched and 89.2 innings. He increased his fastball velocity from 92-95 to 94-97 mph on average, as well as having plus stuff with his slider. He also throws a changeup and a curveball as well.
The Marlins have one lefty in their projected rotation in Garrett, and adding White into the mix would allow more versatility for manager Clayton McCullough to use with his pitching staff. While White still has to play a full season in Triple-A, having only tossed 9.1 innings in two outings, things could look up quickly for the prospect.
MLB.com expects White to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026 with the Marlins, but FanGraphs has him beginning the season in Triple-A. If he continues his success from 2025 into 2026, Miami might have no choice but to bring him up in its pursuit of a playoff appearance.
His slider will likely be his put-away pitch against left-handed batters, with the number of runs it has. According to his scouting report, White's slider holds a 70 grade, which is viewed to be his best pitch.
He does need to make sure he throws strikes, which is an area he must control before getting consistent starts in the MLB. Having had an increased walk rate from 3.6 to 5.1 from 2024 to 2025, command will dictate how quickly he makes the big league roster.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.