RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A hat and glove belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (not pictured) on the field against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at PNC Park. A few teams would make suit… | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Augustus Oswald, Site Editor
Some prospects take longer to develop than others. Take Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfield prospect Lonnie White Jr. , for example. The Bucs drafted him in Competitive Balance Round B in 2021 . After struggling at High-A in 2024 and 2025, White Jr. got back on track in 2026 . Now, he looks like he could play a noteworthy role in the Pirates’ 2027 plans.
Apr 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A general overall view of Honus Wagner statue at PNC Park. The stadium is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Matthew Nethercott, Site Editor
Pirates Must Figure Out Where Lonnie White Jr. Fits in Their 2027 Plans
An Impressive 2026 Breakout
White Jr. is batting .281/.388/.543 as of this writing. He already has a 20/20 season, with 24 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 423 plate appearances between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. He has walked at a healthy 14.5% rate, although he has struck out 29% of the time. Overall, White Jr. owns a .405 wOBA and 139 wRC+.
Lonnie White Jr homered AGAIN!
That’s his 3rd in 2 games!
22nd on the season! Having a monster July! pic.twitter.com/QZzoxQ2HXg
— Christian ✞ (@CWolfPGH) July 30, 2026
Only 26 minor league hitters have had a 20/20 season this year. Of those 26, White Jr.’s wRC+ is the fourth best. Of the three 20/20 hitters with a better wRC+ than him, two are among the highest-ranked minor leaguers. Theo Gillen of the Tampa Bay Rays is a consensus top-15 prospect, while Josue De Paula is a consensus top-five prospect in the sport.
White Jr. has always shown good raw power and speed that lets him stick in center field. He is also considered a good defensive outfielder. The question was always if he could make enough contact. He has made some strides in the plate discipline department. His contact rate went from 62.1% last year to 67.8 this year, while his called and swinging strike rate fell from 33.9% in 2025 to 29.6% this year. It is also impressive that he has maintained his high-level output as he has moved from High-A to Double-A. He owns a .907 OPS, .395 wOBA, and 136 wRC+ at Altoona.
Where White Jr. Fits in 2027
So what sort of role could White Jr. be looking at next season? His defense and speed give him a good chance to be at least a fourth-outfielder type. The Pirates could bring him up to serve a role similar to underrated outfielder Billy Cook , primarily coming into games as a pinch runner and late-game defensive replacement. White Jr. is a comparable defender and runner to Cook, and Cook has struggled so badly at the plate that the bar for White Jr. to surpass is low.
The only thing is that it might be a waste of his potential. He is still just 23 years old and will be 24 for all of the 2027 campaign. The Pirates probably want him to get at least semi-regular playing time considering how well he has done this season. It would be a waste if he were used extremely sparingly at the plate, like Cook, if he can out-hit Cook.
The other option is a more traditional fourth outfielder role. He has experience at all three outfield positions, and has a strong enough arm to play semi-regularly at all of them. White Jr. could serve the role Jake Mangum is currently serving when everyone is healthy. He’d likely bring comparable baserunning and better fielding than Mangum. The only question is: what would they then do with Mangum?
Pirates Need to Make a Decision Soon
The Pirates will have to figure out what role White Jr. will play on a future Pirates team very soon. He is Rule 5 draft-eligible this offseason and will need to be added to the 40-man roster so he isn’t selected. Obviously, the potential lockout could affect how the Rule 5 draft operates, and the Pirates may forgo adding him, considering that leaving him off the 40-man roster allows him to play regular-season minor league games if MLB games are locked out.
There are plenty of options the Pirates can take with Lonnie White Jr. A power/speed fourth outfield role seems like the most immediate role for him in the major leagues. The strides he has made at the plate this year give him a real chance at becoming a legit future outfielder for the Pirates.
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Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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