Sodo Mojo’s Top 40 Seattle Mariners prospects: Number 4

We continue the unveiling of our Top 40 Mariners prospects. Today, we look at a player who we will see on Opening Day 2020.

Very few prospects had more people helium this winter than Mariners first base prospect Evan White. People fawned after him shortly after he signed a 6-year contract (plus 3, 1-year club options), but after a few weeks, the hype died down a bit.

White has always been a bit odd. He is a right-handed hitter who throws left-handed. He plays first base but might be the best athlete on the field for the Mariners all year. He is a fantastic gloveman who’s major question mark is his game power. Evan White is a bit of a unicorn.

But White is a player the Mariners have decided to feature as a staple player in their rebuilding efforts and fans won’t have to wait long to see him. White is “the guy” at first base in 2020 and will get a lion share of the PAs at the position.

White is coming off a good season at AA Arkansas in which he slashed .293/.350/.488 with 18 home runs in 400 PAs. The power could have been even better, if not for the Travelers home ballpark being death to right-handed power bats. But the power still shows a continuation of a late-season power surge in 2018 and has eased concerns of some.

Some are still not sold on White’s upside, wondering if his bat is being optimized by keeping him at first base. A traditionally offensive driven position, White will need to post 125 wRC+ to be an average offensive threat at first. White will add value with his glove, but being elite at first base isn’t as valuable as being above-average in centerfield, which White has the skills to do.

White’s power may show more as a 30+ doubles, 20 home runs type as opposed to the inverse but he should hit enough to be a solid 3+ WAR player for years to come.

White doesn’t walk a ton, though he isn’t a free swinger who doesn’t put the ball in play. Most seem to think White can hit between .270-.300 on a yearly basis and should walk enough to post .340+ OBP marks on a regular basis.

Until White hits 30+ home runs for multiple seasons, people will push for the Mariners to move White to the outfield, opening up the position for a more traditional bat. But White’s defensive prowess is insane and we will all learn exactly how valuable that defense will be going forward.