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SAN FRANCISCO — Dodger fans probably didn’t expect their ace, Walker Buehler, to miss a few months of the season with a right flexor strain. However, there has been some positive news coming from Buehler’s injury. Due to Buehler’s extended absence, the Dodgers called up Mitch White from Triple-A Oklahoma, and ever since then, White has been giving the Dodgers quality starts.

Mitch White was born in San Jose, CA, to parents John and Hailey White. Mitch is half-white, half-Korean, and his aunt is JuJu Chang of ABC News. Mitch attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, CA, for high school and then went to Santa Clara University for college. 

After pitching to a 3.72 ERA at Santa Clara, Mitch was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2nd round (65th overall) in the 2016 MLB Draft. Mitch White grinded through the minor leagues before making his first major league appearance in 2020, where he pitched only three innings. Since 2020, White has been up and down in the Dodgers system, making appearances in the Single-A, Triple-A, and the MLB.

While Mitch White’s numbers may not look the most appealing on the surface, ever since he started consistently pitching in the majors, his numbers have significantly improved. On the season, White has a 4.22 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP, with a 21.8% K rate and an 8.8% BB rate. However, since June 1st, White’s ERA has lowered to 3.84 while pitching at least 5 innings in 4/6 past starts. 

With every pitcher comes their pitch repertoire. Mitch White throws a 4-seam fastball (46%), slider (27%), curveball (19%), and sinker (7%). His most thrown pitch, the 4-seam fastball, reaches 93.7 mph on average but is not his best pitch, however. White’s best pitch is his slider (27%) which is thrown at about 85.1 mph. On the season, opposing batters are only hitting .200/.246/.326 against White’s slider. It should also be noted that White has a great curveball which has 57.4 inches of vertical drop (4.7 better than average). 

The biggest thing that Mitch White has provided for the Dodgers is his consistency. Although the Dodgers starting rotation has been hit with a plethora of injuries, White has been able to give the Dodgers a good amount of innings while maintaining a reasonable ERA. White has been able to give the Dodgers bullpen adequate rest while proving why he should stay in the majors.

The former 2nd round pick out of Santa Clara University has shown a lot of consistency this season, and I fully expect him to remain on the Dodgers roster once Walker Buehler returns. White has great offspeed and breaking balls that limit the hard contact. Although White does not show many flashes of upside, his arm will be useful in the postseason either as a starting pitcher or relief pitcher out of the bullpen who can eat up innings. Until Buehler returns, White will continue racking up strong starts while limiting opposing batter’s hits and walks. 

Matthew Suh is the founder of Fresh Coast Sports as well as a staff writer for Fresh Coast Sports, Talking Points Sports, and The Press Box. While Matthew covers all sports, including the NFL, NBA, and MLB, he tends to focus on writing about the MLB. Questions about the MLB or baseball? Follow or DM Matthew on Twitter @matthewsuh for inquiries!