Mariners' Evan White: Makes impression on hitting coach
White stood out to hitting coach Tim Laker this spring with his ability to consistently make hard contact, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "He's a really strong kid," Laker said. "He's a really intelligent guy. His swing, I guess when you look at it compared to everybody else, it's a little bit maybe unconventional, but I think he's got an ability to find the barrel and hit the ball hard."
The rookie tuned up for a projected everyday job at first base this spring by hitting .333 (8-for-24) with three doubles, three RBI, two walks and a stolen base across eight Cactus League contests. White's meteoric rise through the Mariners' organizational ranks includes just four games of experience at Triple-A Tacoma, but he earned the confidence of team brass by slashing an impressive. .293/.350/.488 with 33 extra-base hits (13 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs) and 55 RBI over 400 plate appearances at Double-A Arkansas in 2019. The fact White was able to thrive versus big-league arms this spring naturally serves to strengthen his outlook, and Laker's assessment qualifies as a particularly strong endorsement as well.
