Top-10 Stories of 2018: No. 3 Mount Carmel's Thomas thrives in pro ball

Alek Thomas was, and continues to be, a phenomenal athlete who prioritized baseball. His game is well-rounded and smooth in all facets and it’s efficiently prepared him for the level of competition in pro ball.

He was the state’s top-ranked 2018 prospect for quite some time, and he came into draft day in June as the No. 19-ranked prospect on the PBR Draft board. His glove and bat-to-ball skills looked like a first-round type of talent. Thomas’ game power always seemed to play up, too, after he smashed double digit homers for Mount Carmel last spring. His athleticism played especially well in center field, helping him field advanced jumps off the bat. In the left-handed batter’s box, Thomas’ smooth, sweet swing and loose hands generate hard all-fields contact – and his ability to strike the ball hard and with regularity is probably his carrying tool.

Alek Thomas (2.4.18)

On the day of the draft, Thomas wasn’t selected in the first round, as most of us had anticipated. The former Caravan star wound up sliding to pick No. 60 overall, the second round, where the Arizona Diamondbacks decided to call his name. Thomas proved quickly in pro ball that maybe his second-round slide was too far. In the Arizona League, where Thomas was assigned upon signing his pro contract, he needed just 28 games to prove he was ready for his first promotion into Rookie ball. He slashed .341/.396/.496 in 134 plate appearances all while reportedly playing sound defense in center field.

.@Dbacks 2018 2nd rd pick @athomas22 with a monster debut. On base 4 times with 3 hits. Patience and approach reminded me of Adam Eaton out there. Pushed the ball all around the field. Fun to watch #ProspectOne #AZL pic.twitter.com/798J30KXrB

— The Welsh (@IsItTheWelsh) June 19, 2018

He finished a busy 2018 in Missoula, Mont., in the Pioneer League and showed his debut in Arizona was no fluke. Statistically, he looked just about the same with Ospreys – which is to say that his introduction to pro ball has been nothing short of stellar.

The combination of his patient approach, bat-to-ball skills, plus speed, and instinctual defense makes him an exciting prospect within an on-the-rise Diamondbacks’ system.

TOP STORIES OF 2018