From ‘Tommy Singles’ Back to ‘Tommy Tanks’: White Finds MLB Power with the Athletics

Fans in Baton Rouge remember Tommy White as "Tommy Tanks", for his power display at LSU. Supporters watched him launch dozens of baseballs into the stands for the Tigers, while helping the team win a National Championship. He was a major LSU star before he was drafted by the Athletics with the first pick in the Second Round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

He made his major league debut when the team called him up from Triple-A Las Vegas on July 17th, but his initial stretch of games in the bigs didn't feature that familiar slugging ability. Over his first 25 games, 22 of his 24 hits were singles...with the remaining two logged as doubles. He maintained a solid batting average but was primarily operating as a contact hitter rather than the home run threat LSU fans recognized.

The Recent Outburst Against the Texas Rangers

Some of the writers around the Athletics said that the team had started jokingly mocking White's college nickname of "Tommy Tanks" by calling him "Tommy Singles". But his professional power drought finally ended during a weekend matchup against the Texas Rangers. In the eighth inning of a Sunday contest, he connected on a fastball and sent it 413 feet to center field for his first career home run. The solo shot helped secure a 5-2 victory for the Athletics.

When he returned to the dugout, his teammates executed a traditional baseball prank by giving him the silent treatment. They ignored him completely before erupting into a full celebration at the end of the bench. He quickly proved the swing was sustainable, by hitting another home run in his very next game on Monday.

Long-Term Plans for Tommy White in the MLB

The Athletics are currently providing White with a regular starting role at first base, which means regular at bats too. This consistent playing time is partly due to a hip injury that forced Tyler Soderstrom onto the injured list. The daily reps are giving the rookie an opportunity to find a consistent rhythm against major league pitching.

The team's front office expects the power he demonstrated in college to fully translate to the professional level over time. He is using this final stretch of the regular season to make the case for him to remain a fixture in the future lineup plans as the organization evaluates its roster for the future.