Seattle Mariners: 3 Reasons Why Evan White’s Rookie Season was a Fluke

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 14: Evan White of the Seattle Mariners stands at first base after popping out to end the game.(Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 14: Evan White of the Seattle Mariners stands at first base after popping out to end the game.(Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
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Seattle Mariners: Evan White fields a ground ball.
Evan White of the Seattle Mariners runs to tag first for an out. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)

Reason No. 2: – Evan White is now established as the best defensive first baseman in baseball, not just the Seattle Mariners

Coming into the show he was heralded as one of the top defensive prospects in baseball, and last season Evan White led all Major League first baseman in the majority of defensive categories.

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Anthony Rizzo topped a few categories as well, and rightfully so, as he is four-time Gold Glover himself. But among American League first baseman in 2020, Evan White led essentially every single category.

What this means for Evan White is that he should be a regular for the Gold Glove Award at first base in the American League for years to come. Defense is hard and nobody should be considered a pencil-in for that award, but White’s trajectory has him as close to that as it gets.

This is something that should excite Mariner fans because this type of national recognition is not something that many rookies receive and will instill a sense of confidence and pride within Evan White.

To give you an idea of the type of rookie season that White had defensively, here are a few of the notable stats in which he paced all first basemen last year; Defensive runs saved (+7),  revised zone rating (.911), out of zone plays made (11), and first baseman scoops (7).

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