The Thome legacy continues on the South Side as Chicago uses their newly-acquired 34th overall pick to select infielder Landon Thome, the son of White Sox legend and Hall of Famer, Jim Thome. In a trade Friday evening, GM Chris Getz traded IF Jacob Gonzalez and RHP Brandon Eisert to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for the 34th overall pick, giving the South Siders an extra second-round pick while freeing up some signing bonus dollars. It seemed that the motive behind the trade was that they didn’t
believe Thome would still be around by the 41st pick, and their plan worked.
Thome is 18-years-old, hailing from Nazareth Academy — roughly 18 miles from downtown Chicago — and is the top ranked shortstop in Illinois, and 19th-best in the nation according to Prep Baseball. While the White Sox did just select SS Roch Cholowsky as the first overall pick, Thome’s versatility across the infield with the ability to play second and third base gives him an advantage to slot into other positions while still adding a lefty power bat in the lineup. It also certainly doesn’t hurt to have a HOF dad as a mentor to the game and to help guide Landon’s approach at the plate.
Not only did the lefty highlight his power in his senior season with the Nazareth Roadrunners, but he also showcased his capability at getting on base at an insanely high rate with a .630 on-base percentage, walking 30 times compared to just 12 strikeouts. Not too shabby at all, and not too surprising considering his dad (unsurprisingly) walked quite a bit (16.9% average BB%), and didn’t have a crazy strikeout rate by any means. Landon posted a .533 batting average at the plate, amounting to a whopping 1.676 OPS including eight home runs, 35 RBIs, and 49 steals, also showing his speed and ability to cause trouble on the basepaths.
Something that is not completely apparent in Thome’s stats is that he is always working hard to perfect his game, and holds himself to a high standard both on and off the field. The Thome family has always been such a lovely part of the larger White Sox family, and having Landon join the organization while following in his dad’s footsteps is a great story in the making.
When we spoke with Andrea Thome — Landon’s mom — earlier this year, she only had glowing things to say about her son, highlighting his work ethic and positive attitude.
“Landon is a special person, and I’m not just saying that because he’s our son. He works hard on the field and in the classroom, and thanks to the example set by his head coach and mentor, Lee Milano, he’s also made service to others a huge part of who he is. We are honored to be his parents and can’t wait to see where his path leads.”
With the great vibes that are already flowing through the White Sox clubhouse, and within the larger organization, Thome seems like the perfect player to add to the mix in the future of the team. Welcome to the South Side, Landon!
