After only 10 starts at Double-A, the Miami Marlins promoted their top prospect, Thomas White, to the highest level of the minor leagues. The 20-year-old left-hander looked fully equipped for the assignment. After waiting out a rain delay of more than two hours, White struck out 10 batters and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning at Truist Field on Saturday night.
White’s final line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 10 K (94 pitches/47 strikes). He was one out shy of qualifying for the win. The Jumbo Shrimp would break things open late in a 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox affiliate.
Among the 22 total batters White faced, 20 were right-handed. Most of them had prior MLB experience, though they weren’t exactly “big names.” The most accomplished Charlotte Knight who played was arguably Joshua Palacios, he of a 75 wRC+ in 207 career games.
The three runs allowed by White matched a season-high. He was oh so close to silencing the Knights completely.
This 95 mph fastball at the knees was his 3-2 pitch to Ben Cowles in the bottom of the fifth inning, which was called a ball by umpire Pete Talkington. It ordinarily would not be worth highlighting a moment like this, but keep in mind, there is an ABS challenge system in place for all Triple-A games. White and catcher Joe Mack declined to challenge in this case. Looks like there was a solid chance that the call would’ve been overturned into an inning-ending strikeout.
Tim Elko followed Cowles by singling to load the bases, prompting a visit from Jumbo Shrimp manager David Carpenter. White convinced Carpenter to let him face one more batter. That didn’t work out, as Andre Lipcius unloaded the bases with a double to left field.
White’s four-seam fastball topped out at 98.5 mph and it accounted for about half of his overall pitch mix. He complemented it with sweepers, changeups and a handful of cutters (though Statcast had a hard time distinguishing the cutter from his other secondary offerings).
Mack and Nathan Martorella each homered for the Shrimp on Saturday. Kemp Alderman has already amassed 9 RBI through his first seven games with Jacksonville—at this point, he has practically clinched Marlins Minor League Player of the Year honors.
White is expected to make two more regular season starts for the Jumbo Shrimp, including his Vystar Ballpark debut next week against the Memphis Redbirds.