Eli White explodes in massive July 4th game for Atlanta Braves affiliate

Former Clemson infielder Eli White was already having a solid season with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, and that was before Thursday.

White exploded with six hits in Gwinnett’s 21-6 victory over the St. Paul Saints at CHS Field in Minnesota on July 4, going 6-for-7, including two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs. He capped his night by hitting a grand slam in the ninth inning after hitting a three-run homer in his previous at-bat.

White raised his season average to .289. He now has seven homers, 12 doubles and 28 RBIs in 54 games this season.

According to Dave Lezotte of MiLB.com, White is the first player in Gwinnett history to record six hits in a game. The 30-year-old outfielder played three seasons for Clemson (as an infielder) from 2014-16, hitting eight home runs, 22 doubles and 61 RBIs in a Tigers uniform.

A native of Greenville, White was selected in two consecutive years in the Major League Baseball draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in 2015, but he returned for another season at Clemson. A year later, the Oakland Athletics drafted White in the 11th round.

White made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2020 and spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues between Texas and Atlanta. He appeared in six games with the Braves in 2023, going 1-for-14.

White posted a career .278 batting average over eight minor league seasons.

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