3 reasons to be excited about Texas Rangers’ rookie center fielder Eli White

Eli White has been turning heads in Texas Rangers’ camp, and here’s why his name should be at the forefront of your mind.

Eli White has taken Texas Rangers’ camp by storm and has made himself, arguably, the best player in camp this spring.

He has solidified himself a legit big league option, even after struggling in his first taste of the major leagues in 2020.

Could he be the Opening Day center fielder over Leody Taveras? Absolutely.

We’ll see how the Texas Rangers decide to go about making that decision, but in the meantime, here’s three reasons why Eli White should get you excited.

Game-changing speed

Eli White is a speed demon on the base paths for the Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers have always acquired outfielders with solid speed over the years, such as Craig Gentry, Delino DeShields and more recently, Leody Taveras.

All three of those guys were considered some of the fastest men in the big leagues, but Eli White may take the cake for me.

In 2020, Eli White ranked 8th in the major leagues in sprint speed, whereas Leody Taveras ranked 19th.

His average sprint speed was 29.4 ft/second in 2020, putting him ahead of guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Jo Adell and Harrison Bader.

Over four seasons in the minor leagues, White stole 56 bases, also adding 36 over three seasons at Clemson.

His skipper has praised White’s pure athleticism for years, but specifically mentioned his speed in 2019.

No doubt his burners are raring to go in 2021 as he looks to take over centerfield for the Texas Rangers.