Two years after LSU fans nicknamed him "Tommy Tanks" for a swing that turns baseballs into launch problems, Tommy White is getting the call. Jeff Passan broke the news that the Athletics are bringing up the third baseman, and it's the kind of promotion that's been building since the moment he signed.
The A's are calling up third baseman Tommy White, sources tell ESPN. White, a star at LSU and second-round pick in 2024, is hitting .303/.353/.465 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs this season. The 23-year-old is expected to make his debut Friday against Washington.
White was a second-round pick in 2024, the No. 40 overall selection, after a legendary run through the college ranks split between NC State and LSU where he racked up video-game power numbers and turned himself into one of the more fun bats in the sport. Oakland bought in with a reported $3 million signing bonus, and the developmental path since has been a fast climb: Single-A Stockton, High-A Lansing, Double-A Midland, and this year a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas at the end of April.
The Vegas stint is what made this call-up feel inevitable. White has hit at every level, but Triple-A is where the power really showed up — reports out of Las Vegas had him hitting well over .300 with the Aviators, and after coming back from an injured list stint in June he strung together three straight games with a home run. Passan's numbers put his overall 2025-26 minor league season at .303/.353/.465 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs, a stat line that reads like a guy who ran out of things to prove below the majors.
MLB Trade Rumors confirmed the selection with the same details as they broke around the league.
The A's, still finding their footing in their new Sacramento/Las Vegas limbo era, need bats that can move the needle, and a 23-year-old third baseman who's been raking his way up the system fits the bill. Third base has been an open competition for Oakland for a while now, and White getting the nod over other prospects in the pipeline says the front office thinks the hit tool is big league ready right now, not eventually.
White makes his debut Friday against the Nationals, a series that suddenly matters a lot more for A's fans who've been tracking his minor league box scores for two years. It's not a marquee opponent, but for a guy who was hitting home runs in Lansing not that long ago, the stage doesn't need to be big — just big league. Expect Oakland to give him everyday reps at the hot corner and see what "Tommy Tanks" looks like against actual major league pitching.