When the Atlanta Braves claimed Eli White, most of us said, “Who, why?” If you’re still saying that now, you haven't been paying attention nearly enough.
A pair of home runs by Eli White helped the Braves win the rain-delayed Speedway Classic. Those homers are probably the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions White. After all, he’s not a star, won’t win a batting title, or claim a high-dollar contract, but in the season and a half he’s played for Atlanta, he’s done everything asked of him and more.
Fourth outfielders are generally glove-first players who offer little offense. That was White’s history when he arrived in Atlanta, but since re-signing with the club in 2023, he’s changed that profile.
All teams could use a Swiss Army knife like the Braves have with Eli White
Primarily an outfielder, White played every infield position during his time in the Rangers’ organization, and picked up innings at first base with Atlanta this season, but his defense made him the fourth outfielder the club called on most often.
Every Braves fan would name Michael Harris as the best defensive outfielder, and eight OAA and six DRS do top the list. Most wouldn’t guess that Statcast has White second on that list with two DRA and two OAA, or that he’s tied with Nacho Alvarez for fourth on the team in OAA behind Nick Allen (17), Matt Olson (9), and Harris (8).
Fielding Run Value (FRV) is Statcast’s metric for capturing a player’s measurable defensive performance from all of Statcast’s individual defensive metrics into a single, run-based scale where a positive number indicates above-average performance.
White’s 4 FRV is tied with 12 others for 72nd in MLB and fifth on the Braves behind Olson, Allen, Sean Murphy, Harris, and Alvarez, matching his rank in DRS as shown on Fangraphs list (ignoring pitchers). His arm accuracy was in the 78th percentile, and his arm strength in the 82nd.
Eli White delivers at the dish
White’s final 2025 line of .234/.270/.406/.677 and an 88 OPS+ in 271 PA over 105 games doesn’t knock your sox off, but his .290 wOBA, .320xwOBA, and 84 wRC+ were among the best of players with similar profiles, and better than that of Kiké Hernández. But context is critical when looking at statistics.
White isn’t a platoon bat or super-utility man who plays virtually every day. He started only 62 games and had three or more PA in only 59. His longest stretch of consistent starts consisted of 26 games from April 4 through May 22, when he batted .280/.314/.460/.774, including six doubles, three triples, two homers, and drove in 13 runs in 106PA. White also stole 10 bases in 11 attempts, showing off a 29.9 ft/sec sprint speed that Statcast puts in the 99th percentile.
If one asked who was the best Braves pinch-hitter in 2025, we suspect Drake Baldwin would be the answer most from most fans, and Baldwin did lead the Braves with 23 pinch-hit appearances, batting .227/.261/.273/.534 (5-22) with a double and four RBI.
However, many would not believe that White finished second in appearances with 17, and batted .471/.471/.824/1.294 (8-17), including two homers and four RBI. White’s homers were the only pinch-hit homers the Braves notched last season. Save that for your next trivia contest.
That’s a Wrap
Eli White ranked highly in all current defensive metrics, plays over the diamond, can steal a base if needed, has good at-bats as a pinch-hitter, and, while not known as a power bat, he hit ten homers as a part-time player, good for tenth in the league among players with a similar profile.
I’m not suggesting White should start every game, only that we recognize how valuable he was to the Braves in 2025. He’s not a star, but he’s a very good player.