If there ever was a high-school baseball player who was prepared for the MLB Draft, it’s Landon Thome.
The Nazareth star infielder watched teammates Cooper Malamazian and Jaden Fauske go through the process the past two seasons.
Now, the Southwest Regional Baseball Player of the Year is days away from hearing his own name called in this year’s MLB Draft, scheduled for July 11-12.
“Jaden was a big help for me, being as close as we were,” said Thome, who is No. 37 in the MLB.com prospect rankings. “Being able to talk to him during the season is definitely a big help (and) Cooper was in the same shoes.
Malamazian, picked in the 17th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, opted to follow a college path to Indiana. Fauske was selected in the second round last year by the White Sox and is currently starting at Single-A Kannapolis.
And there’s someone else Thome — who is committed to Florida State — can lean on for advice. It’s his dad Jim, a Hall of Fame slugger who works for the White Sox and has been on the Nazareth coaching staff during his son’s career.
“It’s been really cool to have him by my side through this,” the younger Thome said. “I always say I think he’s the most knowledgeable, hitting-wise, man I’ve ever talked to.”
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Thome played 155 career games for Nazareth, roughly the equivalent of a major-league season.
His numbers are eye-popping: a .422 batting average, .522 on-base percentage, .742 slugging percentage, 48 doubles, 19 triples, 18 home runs, 166 runs scored, 117 RBIs and 108 stolen bases. As a senior, his line was even better: .532 batting, .623 on-base, 1.054 slugging, eight homers, 35 RBIs, 63 runs and 54 steals.
Roadrunners coach Lee Milano said the numbers don’t even tell the whole story for the 6-foot, 177-pounder, who also was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year.
“The thing about Landon — what you don’t see — he started every game since his freshman year,” Milano said. “He put his body in the position to be healthy.”
And it helped him prepare for the kind of scrutiny that comes with being an elite prospect as well as the son of a Hall of Famer.
“We had over 50 (MLB) guys at one game,” Milano said. “Big front-office people … those guys were at practice.
“He handled it with humility and grace.”
Milano credits Landon’s parents, Andrea and Jim, for helping form his approach. Then the younger Thome took what he learned and ran with it.
“He’s made the most gains as a player from year to year I’ve ever had,” Milano said.
Part of that is growing up and getting stronger, with the help of Kyle Bracey at Bracey Performance in Chicago.
“Coming into high school, I was probably 145, 150 pounds,” Thome said.
Though baseball is the family business, Thome also played other sports growing up.
“It was awesome playing flag football and basketball,” he said. “It was with my hometown buddies.”
Soon, Thome will be heading off to continue his career, either in the pros or at college.
For now, he’s enjoying the chance to be a teen-ager on summer vacation.
“It’s been nice to be home and get my work in the gym and get BP and ground balls.”
Whatever comes next, he’ll be ready.