Pirates Prospect Pushing for Second 2026 Promotion
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had some standouts in the farm system in 2026, but one player is making an early case for another promotion.
Outfielder prospect Lonnie White Jr. has been fantastic for Double-A Altoona since joining them on April 30, serving as their best hitter and one of the best in the Eastern League.
He has slashed .287/.385/.554 for an OPS of .939 in 29 games, with 19 runs scored, 29 hits, seven doubles, a triple, six home runs, 17 RBI, 15 walks to 37 strikeouts and six stolen bases.
White hit comparable numbers with High-A Greensboro and if he keeps it up, the Pirates may consider sending him to Triple-A Indianapolis at some point too.
What's Lead to the Resurgence for Lonnie White?
White has simply benefitted from being healthy, as injuries have plagued his professional career.
He has played 52 games so far in 2026 and is only 38 from eclipsing his career-high of 89 games he played with Greensboro in 2024.
Elbow and hamstring injuries limited him to 11 combined games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, plus didn't debut in 2023 until June after thumb surgery.
White being healthy saw him have a great start to 2026, where he slashed .298/.413/.595 for an OPS of 1.008 in 23 games with Greensboro, with 25 hits, two doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 19 RBI, 17 walks to 22 strikeouts and nine stolen bases on 11 attempts.
He was one of the best hitters in the South Atlantic League before his promotion, including first in runs scored (24), fourth in home runs, tied for sixth in RBI and walks, tied for ninth in hits and stolen bases, 10th in slugging percentage and 11th in OPS.
What White Could Become For the Pirates
The Pirates took White with the 64th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Malvern Prep in Malvern, Pa., signing him for $1.5 million, $500,000 overslot.
He joined the likes of left-handed pitcher Anthony Solometo (37th overall, second round) and right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler (73rd overall, third round), as a high school trio that they went overslot for by taking catcher Henry Davis first overall that year.
White hasn't panned out yet, but there's reason the 23-year old could eventually become the player the Pirates envisioned.
He has great speed, something that had him committed to Penn State for football as a wide receiver, and baseball too.
White has solid power, and his 13 home runs this season are just one off his career-high of 14 home runs in 2024, giving him a chance to really develop that part of his game.
He is also a strong fielder with a great arm, putting him in all three outfield spots with an emphasis in center field, making him a versatile option for the Pirates.
White is still striking out a bit, but he's getting more hits (54 total) and just nine hits from setting a new career-high.
As long as White stays healthy, he's produced at the plate and showed that he could be on his way to Triple-A.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.