Did the Seattle Mariners rush Evan White to the Majors?
Seattle Mariners, Evan White.
Entering the fast lane
With the promise White showed in the minors, it wasn’t surprising that going into the spring, he was pegged as part of the team’s future. He should have started the season at Triple-A Tacoma with a shot at a late-season call-up.
In the meantime, Seattle would be forced to give playing time to one of their many reclamation projects or one of the ultra, super-utility guys until the kid was ready. This is 2020, there was not Triple-A. The Mariners decided to start White’s Major League career earlier than expected. That’s where the “rub” comes into play.
Rushing prospects up has been a common practice for the M’s. That and continual trading for prospects, but for this article, our focus is on the former. As mentioned, White showed he belonged defensively. Heck, he turned the rare and ever-impressive 5-3-5 double play! His fielding and glovework have been as good as or better than advertised.
How many times did he save runs by salvaging a bad throw from one of the infielders? Then there was his incredible range. The second baseman can play closer to the bag because White covers much more ground than the average first baseman.
That isn’t where the former Kentucky Wildcats star disappointed.