Texas Rangers Top Prospects: #12, Eli White

The Texas Rangers future is made up of the prospects currently in the organization. Which prospect continues the rankings at #12?

As we continue this offseason into Spring Training, we’re looking at the Top 25 prospects in the Texas Rangers organization. These are the players that have performed through the 2018 season and offer the most for the club moving forward.

#12: INF, Eli White

Sliding in at number 12 in our Texas Rangers top prospects rankings is the versatile infielder, Eli White. Infielder is probably an over-simplified term for White too because White also can play in the outfield as needed. The Rangers acquired White from the Oakland Athletics as a piece of the deal that saw former number-one prospect Jurickson Profar leave Arlington for the Bay Area.

White, 24, spent the 2018 season with the A’s Double-A affiliate, Midland playing in 130 games for the club. Immediately what jumps off the stat sheet from last year’s campaign is that .306 batting average which was tops on the RockHounds among players who played in 40 or more games. He won’t shock you with a crazy amount of power generating just 47 extra-base hits of 154 total hits but he still managed an OPS of .838 and 81 runs scored.

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Defensively, White is naturally a shortstop although he may struggle to stick there moving forward. He’s worked at third base as well as center field and right field. He’s got plus-speed to go along with a quality glove and arm according to MLB Prospect Watch but may profile more as a third baseman moving forward.

Last year was really a coming out season for White offensively as he lead the Double-A Texas League in on-base percentage, runs scored, hits and triples. If you have any lingering questions as to why White isn’t already getting Major League service time, his lack of consistent production is the reason. Now if he can put together a 2019 that looks anything like his 2018 season, he’ll be shooting up prospect rankings and the depth chart in the minds of the Texas Rangers.

Expect White to start the 2019 season in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds. He’s getting work in Spring Training right now appearing in 14 games thus far. He’s struggled to get going with just 2 hits in 28 at-bats which probably rules out any notion that White could sneak his way onto the big league roster straight out of camp. Still, the future likely could be bright for White and manager Chris Woodward has already voiced his love for the infielder citing White as “a big part of our future”.

White has the potential to really increase his stock within the organization this year. The club will be looking for a long-term third baseman after the departure of Adrian Beltre this offseason and only inking replacement, Asdrubal Cabrera, to a one-year deal. White likely will get continued work at third and that probably is his best shot at making a spot for him with the Texas Rangers moving forward.