After three years of doing nothing but hit at Southern Cal, including finishing third in the Pac-12 with his .363 average as a junior in 2022, Thomas went in the 11th round and got a little more than pick value ($180,000) to sign with the Mets. He raced through three levels of the system in his first full season, hitting a combined .328, then hit his first stumbling block by hitting .235 over his first 49 games in Triple-A after learning an early promotion from Binghamton. The Mariners nabbed his hit tool close to the 2024 Trade Deadline in the Ryne Stanek deal, and Thomas proceeded to hit over .300 for Triple-A Tacoma after the trade and for much of the 2025 season, earning his first big league callup in May.
Thomas’ ability to make contact borders on the absurd. He’s maintained a strikeout percentage under 10 percent for his Minor League career, and while he can be prone to chase, he also doesn’t swing-and-miss. Hitting .300 pretty much everywhere could lead to a plus hit tool, but the lack of impact from the left side of the plate makes one pause. The Mariners do think there’s a little more thump to tease out of his setup, and he did hit the ball a bit harder in 2025 than in previous seasons.
While there is plus speed in his toolbox that helps him stretch singles into doubles, he hasn’t been all that efficient at stealing bases. The wheels are an asset in the outfield, where he can play all three spots extremely well, though he doesn’t have the arm to play right field regularly. His ceiling is that of a fourth outfielder type who makes a ton of contact and gets on base while helping a team with his glove.
Thomas was a .335 hitter over three seasons at USC and finished with exactly as many walks as strikeouts (36) over 117 games with the Trojans. His .363 average as a junior ranked third-best in Pac-12 in 2022, and he earned conference All-Defensive Team honors too in time for his Draft eligibility. The Mets selected the outfielder in the 11th round and signed him for $180,000 ($55,000 of which counted against the bonus pool). New York sent Thomas to Single-A, High-A and Double-A in his first full season as he lived up to his amateur scouting report. His .328 average was best among the organization’s Minor Leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances.
Simply put, Thomas has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the Minor Leagues. His 1.43 BB/K ratio placed fourth among 1,054 batters with at least 300 PA, his 8.1 percent K rate ranked seventh and his 4.3 percent swinging-strike rate eighth. The left-handed hitter’s swing decisions got even better the higher he climbed, and he ranked close to the 100th percentile in High-A and Double-A in that category. The only thing keeping him from a true 60 hit tool is a severe lack of impact. Thomas managed only three homers, 21 total extra-base hits and an .097 ISO in 2023, and his exit-velo numbers back that up.
Thomas has plus speed that can help turn some singles into doubles, although he was inefficient at picking his stealing opportunities (7-for-18). The Mets love his outfield glovework, naming him their Gold Glove outfielder, in part because of those wheels and his consistency. He played all three spots and can play center well, but a lack of arm strength makes him a better fit in left. Thomas could be a high-average, high-OBP fourth outfielder if results hold.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
