Is Tommy White draft eligible? LSU third baseman's absence from 2023 MLB Draft, explained

While a pair of his Louisiana State University teammates went 1-2 in the MLB Draft, Tigers third baseman Tommy White was not eligible to be selected by a major league team this summer.

White, 20, completed his second season of college baseball this past season and his first at LSU after transferring from North Carolina State in 2022.

While Tigers pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews made history as the first college teammates to be taken with the first two picks of the MLB Draft, White is still not eligible to be selected.

According to MLB, "players attending four-year colleges are eligible after three years of enrollment, or after their 21st birthday — whichever occurs first."

White misses out on both of those requirements and hence must return to college for at least one more season.

The regulations are different for players attending four-year colleges than they are for high schoolers or those attending junior/community colleges. High schoolers are eligible after graduation, as long as they have not attended college. JUCO players are eligible to be drafted at any time.

Tommy White likely to be a high pick when eligible

Tommy White #47 of the LSU Tigers gestures to the dugout after being intentionally walked during the College World Series.

Some of MLB's worst teams — Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals — are likely chomping at the bit to draft the likes of White.

White was second in the nation with 97 RBIs in his first season at LSU, and he has 49 home runs over his two collegiate seasons. He is hitting a combined .369 over his 2022 and 2023 campaigns, with a slugging percentage of .754 and an on-base percentage of .432 in 113 games played.