Could Tyler White break camp with the Astros?
While the early focus has been on Jonathan Singleton or A.J. Reed in regards to the first base job in Houston, an unheralded prospect may be leading the race to open the year in Houston. Allow me to introduce you to Tyler White. In 116 games across Double-A and Triple-A last year he slashed .325/.442/.496. White walked 84 times against 73 strikeouts between the two levels with 14 home runs and 99 RBI. His power is not eye-popping by any means, but his ability to make contact this spring has been.
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Through 14 games, White is 13-for-32 with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI for Houston. He is hitting .344/.389/.500 as he battles to open the year with the Astros. While it is important to note how White is doing, how about his competition? Singleton is hitting .146, Matt Duffy is at .219 and Reed is at .250 for the spring. This may not come down to how well White has played as compared to how bad his competition has been. Many scouts feel Reed will benefit from more seasoning in the minors.
What makes rooting for White easy to do is his background. He was a 33rd-round draft pick but has done nothing but hit since joining the Astros’ farm system. In fact, he has only once recorded an OBP below .400 at any level of the minors. His 28-game sample in the New York-Penn league produced a .362 OBP, otherwise, it has been over .400 at every other level. White’s career slash in the minors is .311/.422/.489 with 35 home runs in 294 games.
White is 25 years old and may be ready to contribute to a team which was sixth in baseball with 729 runs scored last year. Contact and patience are two qualities the Astro’ lineup could use more of, and White possesses both. Monitor his status as the spring draws to a close. Owners in an OBP league in deeper formats or those playing in AL-only formats would do themselves a favor by getting to know White. Come for the OBP, and become a fan of a player who may beat the odds by making the majors as a 33rd-round pick.
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Greg Jewett is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Greg, check out his archive and follow him @gjewett9.
