ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers and China Gove baseball fans alike were treated to an MLB debut several years in the making on Tuesday night.
Owen White stepped on the mound for the first time in an MLB uniform on Tuesday, pitching in relief for the Texas Rangers against the Los Angeles Angels.
White, a China Gove native who graduated from Carson High School, pitched for two innings, allowing three runs and four hits while throwing two strikeouts. A two-run homerun that White surrendered in the sixth inning gave the Angels the lead, which led to him being credited with the loss as the Rangers lost 7-3.
The AL West-leading Rangers called up the right-handed pitcher on Tuesday from Double-A Frisco, where he has been rated as the team's top pitching prospect and the No. 47 overall prospect in MLB.
White was called up along with left-handed pitcher Cody Bradford, who got the start on the night in place of injured Jon Gray. Meanwhile, Texas sent down struggling bullpen pitchers Cole Ragans and Yerry Rodríguez.
The Rangers drafted White in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft after he graduated from Carson High School. White chose to forgo a commitment to pitch at the University of South Carolina in favor of trying to move up the MLB ladder.
White has been one of the best pitchers in the Rangers' farm system over the past few seasons. He holds a 15-6 record in the minors with a 3.46 ERA and averages over 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
The right-hander's debut has been delayed a bit over the years; first by Tommy John surgery in 2019, then the 2020 pandemic, and lastly in 2021 when he broke his pitching hand and was sidelined for three months.
At Carson High School, White was a standout pitcher, amassing a 0.85 ERA and holding a 32-9 record across his four years at the school.
Although his first start was not completely ideal, White did strike out the first batter he faced and showed signs of promise. The Rangers hope he can continue to improve and perform at a high level.
White isn't the only Charlotte-area native on the Rangers. Former World Series MVP Corey Seager was born in Charlotte and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of North Cabarrus High School in Kannapolis. Seager played with the Dodgers from 2015 to 2021 before he signed with Texas, where he has excelled.