A Milestone Debut
Tommy White is set to make his Major League Baseball debut for the Oakland Athletics on Friday, as they host the Washington Nationals in Sacramento. The game will be attended by Jay Johnson, the longtime coach who guided White at LSU, adding a layer of personal significance to the occasion.
White arrives in the big leagues after a stellar college career that culminated in a 2023 NCAA National Championship with LSU. He finished the season with a .303 batting average, 17 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 64 RBI, posting an .818 OPS, and he is currently ranked No. 8 on the all‑time NCAA Division I home run list with 75 career homers.
A Draft‑Driven Pipeline
Selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, White becomes the sixth player Johnson has produced for the majors in five seasons, underscoring the program’s pipeline to the professional ranks.
Off the Field Impact
Beyond his on‑field achievements, White has pledged a portion of his name‑image‑likeness earnings to Empower 225, a Baton Rouge‑based organization that supports local youth and community development.
The debut will also feature former LSU teammates Gage Jump and Dylan Crews, who are slated to appear in the lineup, further spotlighting the university’s recent talent influx.