Rangers Spring Training Preview: Owen White
InsidetheRangers.com previews every player on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster heading into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.
P Owen White
In 2022: White hasn’t even pitched in a Major League game, but he has some of the biggest buzz in the Rangers organization right now. He’s the No. 4 overall prospect and the No. 2 pitching prospect in the organization, behind only Jack Leiter. He’s on the 40-man roster because the Rangers needed to protect White from the Rule V Draft in December, where he would have surely been selected.
Last season he spent time with both High Class-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco, aiding the latter in its run to the Texas League title. With Hickory he went 6-2 and left the Rangers little choice but to call him up to Frisco. His RoughRiders debut led to him winning the Texas League Pitcher of the Week award, but it also led to an injury that shut him down for nearly two months. Still, he managed to go 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA in four starts.
For the season he went 9-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts). He threw 80 1/3 innings, giving up 70 hits, 33 runs (32 earned), eight home runs and 23 walks. He struck out 104. Batters hit .233 against him and he had a 1.16 WHIP.
White’s Career at a Glance: The Rangers drafted him out of high school in 2018 and paid $1.5 million to sign the second-round pick. He played three different sports in high school and was good enough as a quarterback to draw college interest. Less than a year after the draft he was under the knife for Tommy John surgery. Then, after finally getting healthy, he broke his hand in his 2021 professional debut when he slammed it to the ground after making an error. It only slowed his development slightly. He ended 2021 at Low Class-A Down East with three straight double-digit strikeout games, and then went to the Arizona Fall League and came away with pitcher of the year honors.
Contract Status: White has not yet made his Major League debut.
In Surprise: MLB.com lists White as a potential 2023 call-up for the Rangers. He will certainly be named in any potential trade talks with other teams, especially if they’re trying to acquire a bat before or during Spring Training. He’s built an impressive array of pitches and he’s shown toughness and the ability to dominate. But he hasn’t pitched above Double-A yet. His spring will be spent working with new pitching coach Mike Maddux on refining his approach and delivery and giving the team a gauge on how close he is to making it to the Majors. With six veteran pitchers under contract, a good spring for White is getting an immediate assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers have three potential veteran free agents after 2023 — Jake Odorizzi, Andrew Heaney (option year) and Martin Perez. White is pitching in 2023 to make a case to take one of those spots in 2024, or to be an injury call-up.
2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:
Joe Barlow | John King | Dane Dunning | Brett Martin | Jake Odorizzi | Yerry Rodriguez |
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