The Pittsburgh Pirates may have another tough roster call coming, and this one centers on a player who looked like he had slipped into the background.
Lonnie White Jr. was once a name with real buzz. Baseball America had him ranked No. 32 in the 2021 MLB Draft, and the appeal was obvious: a 6-foot-2, 212-pound athlete who played baseball and football at Penn State and also suited up for basketball in high school. The Pirates took him No. 64 overall with a comp pick, betting on the kind of speed-power package that can change a lineup.
For a while, though, the payoff never arrived. White Jr. stalled in Hi-A in 2024, hitting .167/.275/.340, then improved only a little in 2025 with a .220/.329/.394 line.
After that season, he became Rule 5 Draft eligible for the first time. Pittsburgh left him unprotected, and nobody took him.
This year has looked different.
White Jr. opened back in Hi-A and tore through Greensboro, batting .298/.413/.595 over 23 games. That earned him a promotion to Altoona, where he kept going.
Across 82 games at Double-A, he has hit .273/.374/.519 with 18 homers and 11 steals. Put together, his season line sits at .278/.383/.535 with 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 105 games.
That’s a huge leap for the 23-year-old, and it’s exactly the kind of turnaround that makes a front office pay attention. The Pirates’ farm system has thinned a bit after the graduations of Konnor Griffin, Bubba Chandler, and Esmerlyn Valdez, but White Jr. is forcing his way back into the conversation.
The issue now isn’t whether he’s ready for Pittsburgh right away. It’s whether he’s important enough to protect.
A September call-up would be too aggressive, given the size of the jump from Double-A to the majors. The smarter move is to add him to the 40-man roster before the deadline, which usually comes in November, and keep him away from the Rule 5 Draft.
There’s still work to do. White Jr. will need to back this season up with another strong year to prove it’s real. If he does, a major league debut sometime in 2027 is suddenly a believable path, and his name could climb back up prospect lists too.
For now, though, the message is simple: the tools have always been there, and after a long wait, they’re finally showing up in games. The Pirates just need to make sure they don’t leave him exposed.
In Other News...
Pirates Catching Depth Move Could Hint At Something Bigger
The Pirates added another name to their catching mix this week, signing Jose Herrera to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Herrera had spent time in the Texas Rangers organization and also played in the Mexican League after his release, but his best-known work has come in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks. For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of depth move teams make when they want another experienced hand close to the big league picture.
Herrera is expected to help stabilize the catching inventory in the Pirates minor league system, giving the organization some insurance behind the plate. Moves like this do not usually draw much attention on their own, but they can say plenty about how a club wants to protect itself over a long season, especially at a position where bodies can disappear quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
The Pirates added another layer of uncertainty to a bullpen that has already been asked to do a lot, placing right-handed reliever Kirby Yates on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 31 because of a right shoulder impingement. Pittsburgh moved quickly to cover the opening, recalling rookie right-hander Khristian Curtis from Triple-A Indianapolis before its series finale against the Giants, a sign the club needed fresh arms available right away.
Wilber Dotel also got the call back up as part of the same round of roster shuffling, while Evan Sisk was optioned to Indianapolis. The timing is less than ideal for a Pirates team trying to keep its late-game options intact, and Yates injury leaves the staff waiting to see how deep the bullpen hole becomes before the next stretch of games really settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan Reynolds Trend Could Derail Pirates When They Need Him Most
The Pirates are trying to keep their playoff push alive, but the margin for error is getting thinner, especially away from PNC Park. Their road struggles have already made every trip feel heavier, and with nine games left outside Pittsburgh, they need the version of Bryan Reynolds who has helped anchor the lineup at home.
Reynolds has been one of the lineups most important bats, yet his production has not traveled nearly as well this season. That split matters now more than ever, because the Pirates are counting on him to carry some of the offense through a critical stretch on the road, and whether that home-and-away trend holds could shape the final weeks of their season. [Read more 🡒]