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On Friday night, White will return to his hometown — this time on a major league field, in front of major league scouts, under the major league lights of Truist Park.
He’ll play for the second time in the HBCU Swingman Classic, a nationally televised showcase of the top Black college baseball players in the country, held during Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities.
“I’ve worked hard all summer to get better, so for me, it’s just another game and an opportunity to have fun,” said White, who also played in the game last year in Texas. “When you start having fun, that’s when you play your best.”
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White and Morehouse College’s Elijah Pinckney are two of 50 players representing historically Black colleges and universities in the Swingman Classic — a collaboration between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, spearheaded by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.
Credit: Major League Baseball
The game honors the legacy of Black college baseball while spotlighting talent that often flies under the radar.
Some of the top pro prospects include University of Maryland Eastern Shore catcher Jonathan Gonzalez Perez, Alabama A&M University second baseman Kylan Duncan and Norfolk State University outfielder Jalan Jones.
Along with White and Pinckney, three other Georgia natives have also earned invitations: Kameron Douglas, an Alabama State University outfielder from Woodstock; Jordan McCladdie, a Jackson State University outfielder from Augusta; and Joseph Eichelberger, a Jackson State outfielder from Lithonia.
“These young men don’t always get the exposure they deserve playing at HBCUs,” said former Atlanta Braves star Brian Jordan, who will manage the National League team. “This is their shot. This is their time.”
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Former Braves All-Star David Justice will manage the American League squad.
Proud HBCU heritage
HBCUs have long served as incubators of elite baseball talent — even without the financial resources or visibility of larger programs. Schools like Southern, Jackson State and Florida A&M have long developed players who left lasting legacies in Major League Baseball.
Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer from Southern, revolutionized base stealing and helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to two World Series titles. In 2003, Southern’s Rickie Weeks became the highest-ever draft pick from an HBCU, going second overall.
Florida A&M’s Andre Dawson, a Hall of Famer and former MVP, was part of a Rattler legacy that includes Marquis Grissom, Vince Coleman and Hal McRae.
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Grambling State University’s Ralph Garr, Morehouse’s Donn Clendenon and Jackson State’s Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd and Marvin Freeman also left their marks on the game, helping put HBCUs on baseball’s biggest stage.
Their stories now inspire players like White and Pinckney, who will get a chance to play before scouts from the major leagues.
“This event is a great opportunity for HBCU players to perform on a national stage, under the lights at the All-Star Game,” said Del Matthews, MLB’s senior vice president of baseball development. “It gives them a chance to showcase their talent and prove that, if given the opportunity, they’re just as good and deserve a shot.”
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MLBPA consultant Reggie Waller, a longtime talent evaluator, said games like the Swingman Classic are essential — especially when many HBCU programs remain underscouted compared to institutions in bigger conferences.
“Unfortunately, if scouts aren’t showing up to these games, then players don’t have the opportunity to be selected,” Waller said. “And sometimes, unless there are more people who look like us in the room making those decisions, it’s still going to be a struggle. Make no mistake about that.”
“The talent is there,” Waller added. “Now it’s about how it’s going to be nurtured — and how these players apply that ability. That’s up to them.”
Huge opportunity
For White, playing in Atlanta is more than a homecoming — it’s a return to the Black baseball ecosystem that raised him.
“Atlanta is like the Black mecca for baseball,” he said. “I grew up playing with guys like Termarr Johnson, RJ Austin and Cam Collier. Lawrence Butler went to Westlake. Taj Bradley, Marc Church — those were our role models. Now we’re trying to be those guys for the next generation.”
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Braves star Michael Harris II — another product of Atlanta’s deep Black baseball pipeline — remembers how impactful events like this can be.
“I was once in these players’ position, dreaming of being one of ‘them,’” Harris said. “Now I get to show up, say a few encouraging words. You never know how far that can go. Being surrounded by good players who look like me — that really meant a lot.”
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White’s journey started in Southwest Atlanta, where he starred at Westlake under his father. A Jackson State alum, the elder White has developed one of the most productive public-school programs in Georgia.
Westlake has reached the state 6A playoffs six straight years, with more than 30 former players now in college programs, along with three in the pros — including Butler, an outfielder for the Athletics.
“To see KJ at Southern, doing what he’s doing, is a blessing,” White Sr. said. “As a coach and an HBCU alum, this opportunity he’s getting now at the Swingman Classic is huge.”
KJ graduated high school at 17, and Southern was the only school that offered him a scholarship.
“I was a little undersized and most guys going into college were turning 19,” KJ said. “I knew if I went to Southern, I’d get three or four years to grow my game. Looking back, that decision paid off.”
In 2021, the MLB Draft was shortened from 40 rounds to 20 — down from 50 rounds in earlier years — a change that has disproportionately impacted African American players by shrinking the pool of opportunity.
For Pinckney, the Morehouse shortstop, Friday night is more than a game.
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“I’m very grateful. Thankful just to be bestowed with the opportunity and being able to represent Morehouse at a high level,” he said. “It’s a huge opportunity to be seen. I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid.”
Originally from Prince George’s County in Maryland, Pinckney ended up at Morehouse through a Charlotte, North Carolina-based travel baseball program. It was his only chance to play college baseball. He made the most of it.
A glove-first shortstop who models his game after Francisco Lindor and Brandon Crawford, Pinckney balances baseball with academics. He’s a business and journalism double-major with aspirations beyond the field, but he’s not ready to give up on the dream.
“I want to be the kind of player who also impacts my team, my campus and my community,” he said. “I’m a student first, but baseball is where I want to make my mark. If God aligns everything and I get drafted, I’ll be ready.”
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KJ White, an All-SWAC performer entering his senior season, is ready for the moment — and ready to be seen.
And, hopefully, drafted.
“That’s the expectation — not just a goal,” KJ said. “I believe I can get there if I keep working hard. We work hard at HBCUs. We grind.”
