Thomas White: ‘The best 14-year-old pitcher on the planet’

Thomas White (Rowley, Mass.) is the No. 1 prospect in the nation in the Class of 2023. (Courtesy photo)

Two days before checking into his dorm room for the first time at Phillips Andover, Thomas White was pitching on national television.

Two days after reporting for the start of his freshman year of high school, he was ranked the No. 1 baseball player in the country for the Class of 2023 by Perfect Game.

It’s been a particularly heady week for White — a 14-year-old from Rowley, Mass. — capping a meteoric rise this summer that has drawn the attention of college recruiters, pro scouts and nearly everyone else. Those who’ve watched him closely say it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

A 6-foot-3, 185-pound left-hander, White throws in the low-90s, even touching 92 mph in his impressive appearance Sunday at the 14U Perfect Game Select Festival at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla. The prestigious event — televised on CBS Sports Network — included Perfect Game’s 44 best 14-and-under players in the country.