Former Rangers top pitching prospect signs with KBO’s Hanwha Eagles

Former Rangers top pitching prospect Owen White signs with KBO’s Hanwha Eagles after one season with White Sox

Former Rangers right-handed pitcher Owen White has signed with the Korean Baseball Organization's Hanwha Eagles, the team announced. He will make $800,000 and receive a $200,000 signing bonus.

The Rangers drafted White in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Carson High School in China Grove, North Carolina. Pre-2023, MLB Pipeline had White ranked as the No. 66 prospect in the league and the Rangers' No. 1 pitching prospect. He represented the American League in the 2023 Futures Game.

It took a while for White, now 26, to make his professional debut, as he missed the 2019 campaign due to Tommy John surgery and the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of minor league baseball. He held a 3.42 ERA with a 34.1% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate in 2021 and 2022.

The second-round pick made his MLB debut in 2023 with Texas, allowing five earned runs on five hits (two homers) and two walks with four strikeouts in four innings over two outings. He made three more appearances with the Rangers in 2024, surrendering eight earned runs on nine hits (one home run) and one walk with zero strikeouts in three innings.

White also struggled significantly in the minors from 2023-24, posting a 4.90 ERA with an 18.3% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate in 207 2/3 innings with Triple-A Round Rock.

Texas designated White for assignment on December 20, 2024. The Rangers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for cash shortly after. Then, the Reds designated him for assignment on January 29, 2025, and the New York Yankees claimed him. New York designated him for assignment less than one week later, and the Chicago White Sox claimed him.

White made three appearances with Chicago, allowing seven earned runs on 14 hits (one homer) and three walks with six strikeouts across seven innings. He also struggled with Triple-A Charlotte, sporting a 4.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 43 walks over 81 innings.