Every year, around 100 high schoolers are taken in the MLB Draft and have to make a draft day decision to go to college or turn pro. This draft day decision is not an easy one for kids to make. Now, thanks to the introduction of NIL in college sports, some of the top-end talent are actually making more money by going to school instead of signing out of high school. This is exactly the draft day decision scenario Landon Thome finds himself in. Luckily for him, he has a Hall-of-Fame father to lean on through the process.
Thome’s Decision
Florida State Commitment
Landon Thome recently finished up his senior season at Nazareth Academy on the outskirts of the West Side of Chicago. His father, Jim Thome, is an assistant coach there and also serves as a Special Assistant to the GM for the Chicago White Sox. Landon’s numbers alone as a senior should open eyes for MLB scouts and executives. During his senior season, he hit .535 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs. For a player who isn’t the fleetest of foot, he also added 49 stolen bases on the season.
Thome originally committed to Florida State in December of last year. He is ranked as the best shortstop and player in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and the second-best player and shortstop in Illinois by Perfect Game in the 2027 class. Thome has played mostly shortstop at the high school level, but will likely move to second or third base at the next level. This defensive positioning could be a major factor in his draft day decision to go pro or go to Tallahassee.
Draft Day Decision
Landon Thome is currently ranked as the 39th best draft prospect on MLB Pipeline. However, there have been plenty of reports and mock drafts that have him as a potential first-round pick. This could be an effort for teams to save money, and Thome is one of the biggest risers up MLB draft boards. Nonetheless, Thome himself is a good prospect and would normally fit somewhere in the sandwich round after the first 25 picks. However, as the son of a Hall of Famer who profiles to make more contact than his dad and still be impactful with the bat, it creates an interesting draft day decision for teams.
From a draft prospect standpoint, there is a lot to love for Thome. He doesn’t get cheated at the plate. Thome has great pitch recognition and takes hard hacks at the plate. Even with these max intent swings, he still has a feel for the barrel that allows him to make consistent contact. From a power standpoint, it may take a little bit for him to be as impactful as possible. He has a frame to dream on with plenty of room to fill out. If he adds strength and continues to find the barrel with high bat speeds, there’s no reason he can’t get to more power.
Landon Thome does have some shortcomings, though. He may have stolen over 40 bases as a senior in high school, but this says more about his baseball IQ than his actual speed. He profiles to be an average runner at best. This is part of the reason he will have to move off of short, no matter what his draft day decision is to continue his career. Defensively, he has an average arm and limited range. He has shown improvement in his arm strength, so maybe third base remains an option at this point, but he’s most likely a second baseman.
Draft Outlook
The White Sox hold the number one overall pick, and even though Jim Thome works as a Special Assistant, there’s no chance they take Landon with this pick. With the season top draft prospect Roch Cholowsky has had, and other players like Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey, the White Sox won’t go in this direction. There should still be hope for Thome to go in the first round. He’s a guy who may need a little bit more development over the early years of his career. There are shortcomings. He will have to learn a new position at the next level and get more into his power.
Florida State just had a great regular-season run and was a top-ranked team all season long. Additionally, if Thome’s draft day decision is to go to college, he can cash in on the NIL route. Being an ACC team and one of the biggest and best baseball programs in the country, there’s plenty to go around with the NIL route. The draft day decision is really going to come down to the money offered. If that number is too steep for teams to offer, be ready to see him make noise in Tallahassee next spring. However, if he goes pro, he will be the 8th alumnus of Nazareth Academy to play minor league baseball.
Main Photo: Ken Blaze- Imagn Images
