Dickie Joe Thon Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1716
AVG	.235
OBP	.308
SLG	.341
HR	25

Full name Richard Joseph Thon
Born 11/16/1991 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Academia Perpetuo Socorro
Drafted in the 5th round (156th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 (signed for $1,500,000).

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It's a bit of a down year in Puerto Rico, but the best player on the island has a familiar name in shortstop Dickie Joe Thon. The son of the former big leaguer, the younger Thon is a little bigger than his father at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. Thon was born in Houston and grew up there before moving to Puerto Rico for high school. Despite being the son of a big leaguer, Thon isn't the polished product some may expect. That's because he hasn't focused solely on baseball yet. Thon is a great athlete who also competes in basketball, volleyball and track and field. Thon isn't a flashy defender, but makes all the routine plays. He has good feet, soft hands and an above-average arm. His bat is a little inconsistent right now, but he profiles as a good top-of-the-order hitter. He has gap power and could grow into some home run power as he continues to fill out and drives more balls. Thon is an average runner out of the box, but is above-average under way. He has good baseball instincts and projects to steal 20-30 bases a year. Signability is the biggest question with Thon because his father apparently wants him to attend Rice. It could take seven figures to buy him out of school, or teams could just see if Thon will blossom into a first-rounder three years from now.

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While Thon was the Blue Jays 11th pick (fifth round) in 2010, he received the second-highest bonus in their draft class at $1.5 million because of his all-around skills and athleticism as well as the leverage of a scholarship to Rice. His father Dickie was an all-star shortstop and played 15 big league seasons. The younger Thon has yet to show much in pro ball, batting .222/.349/.315 in two years of Rookie ball and spending 2011 battling an unspecified blood disorder. He moved up to Rookie-level Bluefield for 2012 and continued to struggle at the plate, hitting .221/.331/.309 in 149 at-bats. Thon has a good swing and can drive the ball to all fields, but he needs to settle down at the plate. He gets too anxious and gives at-bats away, striking out in 29 percent of his at-bats in pro ball. Thon has plus speed, range and arm strength, so he has a shot to stick at shortstop. If he has to move, he figures to stay up the middle at second base or center field. At age 21, Thon faces a crucial season in 2013, when he should get his first full-season assignment.
Thon was the Blue Jays' 11th pick (fifth round) in 2010 but got the second-highest bonus in their draft class at $1.5 million, thanks to his all-around potential and the leverage of a Rice scholarship. While he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father Dickie, a former all-star shortstop who played 15 seasons in the big leagues, he has some catching up to do after not concentrating solely on baseball in high school and battling an unspecified blood disorder in 2011. The numbers Thon put up in limited time in the Gulf Coast League didn't reflect the improvements Toronto thought he had made. He has gotten bigger and stronger, which has translated to his swing. He drives the ball hard to all fields with a line-drive stroke. He could become an above-average hitter with plus power. Thon also possesses above-average tools in his speed and range at shortstop. His arm is average, though his added strength may help him improve in that regard. Thon lost needed development time last year, so he still might not be ready for a full-season league just yet. He could open 2012 in extended spring training and move to Bluefield or Vancouver in June.
Though he was the Blue Jays' 11th pick (fifth round) in the 2010 draft, Thon received the second-highest bonus at $1.5 million. He commanded such a high price because of his all-around potential and the leverage that a Rice scholarship gave him. He has the tools to follow in his father Dickie's footsteps as an all-star shortstop one day, but he'll need time to develop because he didn't focus on baseball in Puerto Rico. He also starred in basketball, track and volleyball. Thon has shown he can handle wood bats against quality pitching at high school showcase events, and he already has some gap power. As he gets stronger, Toronto believes he can become a plus hitter with plus power. His speed and range are also above-average tools. He's a solid defender with an average arm at shortstop. He'll need to gain consistency and shorten his release on his throws. After signing late, Thon likely will see some time in extended spring training before making his pro debut in mid-2011.