ProfileHt.: 5'10" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School
Florida International
Drafted in the 10th round (286th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1996.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
Not much has been heard from Thomas since the righthander led NCAA Division I with 220 strikeouts in 1996. The former Florida International All-American resurfaced last year after four nondescript campaigns as a pro. Thomas improved his physical conditioning over the offseason and it paid off as he logged a career-high 171 innings and finished second in the Triple-A International League in strikeouts. He never has attracted a lot of attention because of his size and radar-gun readings, but he came together as a pitcher in Triple-A and no longer can be ignored. He draws praise for his bulldog approach on the mound and work ethic. Despite his gaudy college strikeout numbers, he’s more of a finesse pitcher who relies on spotting an average 89-91 mph fastball to complement his outstanding curveball and solid average changeup. He’s not young and will have to continue to be precise with his command to survive against major leaguers. If anything, he has proved to be durable and intelligent enough to fool hitters, which should help him get a look this year as a potential swingman.
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