Checking in with first baseman Evan White.
The Mariners inked first baseman Evan White to a long-term Major League contract in November. The deal is a six-year contract with three club options which could keep White in a Mariners uniform through 2028.
“Being able to call Seattle my home is a dream come true,” White said. “I found out the deal was done on my mom’s first day of chemo, as well as my dad’s birthday. It was a roller coaster of emotions, but the timing was perfect. It felt right.”
White, who was the Mariners 17th overall selections in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Kentucky, is only the 4th player to ever sign a Major League contract extension before making his debut.
“When I first stepped foot in Seattle in 2017 when I got drafted, I really fell in love with the city,” White said. “I fell in love with the people, and I fell in love with the ballpark. Right away I knew this is where I want to be, and I’m very excited to get back to work.”
White, who turned 24 in April, is regarded as one of the top defenders in the minor leagues. In 2018, he earned Rawlings® Minor League Gold Glove after posting a .996 fielding percentage in 106 games at first base with High-A Modesto. That same awarded the 2018 Alvin Davis “Mr. Mariner” Award for his exemplary play and leadership skills both on and off the field.
“I have full trust in the organization and where we are going and in the front office and the players coming,” White said. “I truly believe in this organization, and I’m more than blessed to be a part of it.”
The native of Columbus, Ohio, collected numerous accolades in 2019: Baseball America AA All-Star, Texas League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star and Futures Game selection. After hitting .371 with 8 home runs and 19 RBI in June, he was named Texas League Player of the Month.
While helping Double-A Arkansas to the best record in the Texas League in 2019, White ranked among the top-10 Texas League leaders in home runs (T3rd), slugging percentage (4th), OPS (4th), batting average (6th) and on-base percentage (9th). He hit .293 for the Travelers while belting 18 home runs and driving in 55 runs in 92 games. He recorded a .993 fielding percentage in 88 appearances at first base for Arkansas.
After hoping to make his Major League debut with the Mariners when the season opened in March, White has continued to stay both physically and mentally ready for when the season is able to safely resume. We recently caught up with Evan to see how he is adapting to the delayed start of the season and staying ready for baseball to resume.
You come from a strong lineage of athletes in your family. Who do you think is the most talented?
“Wow, that’s a great question. My grandfather and I were talking the other day about how we wish we could see you each of us in our prime. If we just could play golf, go one-on-one basketball or play baseball, who would be the best athlete? That’s tough, but I got to go with myself to be honest. I just I have confidence in my abilities in the various sports. My dad and I would golf together when I was growing up and I remember how good he was naturally. Now that I’m living in Arizona and able to play on a more consistent basis, I’m pretty sure I have the advantage in golf now. As for Basketball, I think in a game of one-on-one I could take both of my parents. Though I have a feeling they would both would disagree with me on that. We are a fairly competitive family, but at the same time would be each other’s biggest fan. I will say, my mom is in her College Hall of Fame and my dad is in the Hall of Fame at his High School. I guess I have some work to do to keep up with them.”
Speaking of your mom, Erin, how is she doing?
“She’s doing well. She just finished her third week of radiation and will have two more weeks after this. Radiation has been a little tougher on her than the chemotherapy was, but she’s battling through it. I was talking to her recently and was having one of her best days with treatment. She is continues to battle and knows that the end of the road of treatment is near. Spiritually and mentally she is hanging in there. She has been an inspiration to me throughout this journey.”
How would you describe your mom?
“She’s a little bit everything. When I first started playing organized baseball, I remember her sitting on the baseball bucket when she was eight months pregnant with my sister and would catch up all of my bullpens. She was always there for everything and never missed any games. She was always there yelling and cheering, which was the exact opposite of my dad. You wouldn’t hear anything from during a game, but I could always hear my mom no matter where she was in the stands.”
What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?
“The best advice I have received from my mom was if you want something you are going to have to work for it. Nothing is going to be handed to you in life. Even now if I’m struggling to get through a workout, I just think of her and how she has pushed me to keep working and not give up on my dreams. Both of my parents have been huge positive influences in my life and I reflect on everything they have taught me. What my mom is going through right now is harder than anything I ever had to deal with in my life. I use that as motivation to dig a little deeper when things get tough.”
What’s your favorite memory of something that you did with your mom?
“It was the mother and son dance at my wedding in December. The song she picked was a Backstreet Boys song called a Perfect Fan. I wasn’t familiar with it until she picked it out, but it perfect sums up our relationship. Most people probably don’t know, but I was a huge Backstreet Boys fan when I was growing up. I used to have concerts in the living room. The song brought back a bunch of memories. I had to keep talking to her throughout the dance or we would have both cried the entire time. Thankfully we were both able to hold it together. It worked out pretty well and something we will both always cherish together.”
In Spring Training you also found out your grandfather was also diagnosed with cancer. How is he doing?
“I was in the same spot in the Peoria Sports Complex when I found out about both my mom and grandfather’s diagnoses. I have had a few emotional conversations while I was working out, but I was surrounded by so many people that were able to support me through everything going on in my life. My grandfather is doing well and hanging in there. He’s responding to the treatment better than they were expecting because his cancer is a little more aggressive. He has to do five or six weeks of radiation, and also has to do chemo once a week during that time period. It was nice to be able to return home recently and surprise everyone. We were hoping to be able to lift their spirits up even if we had to keep our distance. I was excited to be able to surprise them.”
How did you decide on wearing #12?
“I was deciding between a couple of different options to wear. One number I wore last year in Arkansas, which was also a number that other members in my family wore when they were playing. I also considered a number I wore in college, but I kept coming back to #12. When I was trying to decide between that and another number and texted Justin Dunn about it. He looked up the biblical meaning of 12 and that helped me decide on picking the number. The number is a symbol of faith and is featured prominently in the Bible. So as soon as he said that was kind of a game over.”
How has your friendship with Kyle Lewis evolved?
“From the moment we met our personalities just meshed. We continue to push each other to improve both on and off the field and have surround ourselves with individuals that have the same aspirations as we do. When I was drafted he was coming back from injury and still rehabbing. I remember I had to follow him like several times on Instagram before he followed me back. I wasn’t proud of that at the times, but now that he is my best friend it’s kind of funny look back on it. When we played together in Modesto, we roomed together on the road and became super close. We spent a lot of long bus rides talking about our goals and how we could accomplish them together. I’m looking forward to being friends and teammates for many years to come and winning a championship in Seattle together.”
You are naturally left-handed, but you swing a baseball bat right-handed. Tell us about your unique hitting style?
“My grandfather cut down a regular-sized golf club for my older cousin to use. It was passed down to me and I had to swing right-handed to use it. Once I started swinging right-handed it became natural and I ran with it ever since. My dad tried to get me hit switch when I was younger, but I didn’t want to be decent at both. I wanted to focus on hitting from the right side which felt more natural. I kind of like being unique that way.”
How did you decide to go to Kentucky?
“Going to Kentucky was my dream school. Being able to play in one the best conferences in the country with some of the most talented players was a big draw for me. I was still within three hours from home, which was close enough and far enough at the same time. My family was able to watch me play and I felt like I was playing at home. But it came down to being able to play in front of the best fans in all of college baseball. It was an unbelievable experience.”
How are you adjusting to a delayed start to the season?
“It’s definitely different and not something that you would ever expect. In March I was feeling pretty good and felt like I was ready to go. I was getting closer and preparing to make my Major League debut. I was getting my timing down with my at-bats in Spring Training games and I felt really comfortable with my defense when things got postponed. For me I am trying to focus on the bigger picture and realizing that people are struggling to navigate through these tough times. The most important thing is for everyone to stay healthy and together we make that happen. We all want to be out there, but we know we will be able to play when it is safe for everyone to do so. At home I’m trying to stay as focused as possible on achieving my goals. Visualization is the biggest thing that I do to stay mentally ready. It can be huge to visualize yourself in different situations. Even if it is playing MLB the Show and seeing a different pitch sequence and putting together a plan for a real life situation when you really do face him. It’s important to formulate those plans ahead of time so we are mentally ready once we get back.”
Who will win the Mariners MLB the Show Tournament?
“I haven’t seen any of them play a whole lot. I’ve seen Kyle post some of his games on Instagram, but every time he posts something he didn’t do anything. So I’m a little skeptical on what he can do. Dunn actually does his real life pitch sequences on there. I think in a real game it works, but it may be tougher to pull off in a video game. But even as a pitcher he swings the bat pretty good, so I think he has a good shot to win it all.”
What advice would you give to someone wanting a career in Major League baseball?
“The biggest thing is to remember to just have fun with it. Once you get to the point where it is your career, you will face different pressures and different challenges, but you play your best when you are relaxed and having fun. When you put in the work and preparation, the games will be the fun part.”
So far, what’s been your favorite moment in your career?
“My two favorite moments actually happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma last season. The first was in June last year when I was playing with Arkansas. We went to Tulsa and swept the series with a handful of games left in the first half and ended up clinching the first half title. Celebrating with my teammates in the clubhouse afterwards was a lot of fun. And then at the end of the season, seeing Kyle, Justin, Art and Donnie get called up to the big leagues was really special. It was tough because we just lost in the playoffs, but to be able to see the reactions of those guys having their dreams come true was truly a special moment. Everyone in the clubhouse was so excited for all four of them heading to Seattle to make their Major League debuts.”
If you weren’t playing baseball, what would you be doing?
“I would be coaching, but having played a little golf lately I might try to play PGA Senior tour. Just kidding. I would be coaching, continuing to learn more about the game, and trying to help other people improve. I’ve realized over the years how challenging coaching is. I’ve had a lot of great coaches throughout the years and I think the toughest challenge to being a coach is having that verbiage that makes sense for a lot of guys and to be able to change your verbiage. When something doesn’t work for me, but it might work for somebody else. It is learning how to adapt and learn something new every day. I think it’d be a cool challenge that would keep me around the game.”
Who is your baseball hero growing up?
“My favorite player as a kid was Ken Griffey Jr. As I have gotten older Albert Pujols is someone I have really respected. Being a man of faith and everything he has done both on and off the field is spectacular.”
