Like father, like son.
Frank “Frankie” Thomas III, the 16-year-old son of White Sox legend and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, committed to Auburn University on Monday night. The decision to join his dad’s alma mater comes after Thomas III was on campus as part of an official visit last weekend.
“I am super excited to announce my commitment to Auburn University,” Thomas III posted on X. “I want to thank God, my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and everybody else who has helped me throughout this journey. I especially want to thank my parents for all the sacrifices to get me where I am today, without them, I don’t know if any of this would’ve been possible. Also, I’d like to thank Coach Thompson and the entire Auburn coaching staff for giving me this amazing opportunity. War Eagle!”
An outfielder and first baseman at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Thomas III is a left-hander who has turned heads during his high-school career. With a grade of 9.5 out of 10 on PerfectGame’s rating, he is currently ranked as the No. 44 player in the country and the latest addition to an already loaded 2027 Auburn class that entered the day ranked No. 8 nationally. He also made official visits to Florida and Florida State.
Frank Thomas III—16-year-old son of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas—is a Baseball America top 100 player in the 2027 class.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) August 13, 2025
6-2, 195 lbs, hit well throughout the summer and polished defensive actions around the bag at first base. pic.twitter.com/z6JiWtlEWA
Here’s the latest Perfect Game showcase report on Thomas III:
“Strong athletic build with good present strength and room for plenty more. Left handed hitter, sets up in a slightly open stance with a high hand load and a hanging front foot trigger, longer path into the zone but has the bat speed and timing to get the barrel there on time, easy strength and leverage at contact, lots of loud mid field barrel contact. 6.92 runner in the sixty. Primary first baseman on defense, has good fundamentals and some bounce off the bag and to the ball, plenty of arm strength for the position. Also worked out in the outfield. Son of MLB Hall of Fame first baseman Frank Thomas. Excellent student.”
Of course, Auburn University is familiar territory for the Thomas family. Before becoming a slugger for the White Sox, “The Big Hurt” had a college career that was just as prolific as his professional one.
The dual-sport athlete was named a three-time All-SEC selection during his Auburn baseball career and a consensus All-American as a junior in 1989. To this day, Thomas remains the University’s only player to capture the team’s Triple Crown honor twice, doing so during his final two seasons. He ended with a .382/.514/.725 (228-for-597) slash line, 49 home runs, 205 RBI, and a 1.239 OPS.
“I just want to say, I’m so humbled and grateful, and thankful, for this distinct honor,” Thomas said prior to his statue unveiling in 2024. “I’m bragging here — but having two statues at two stadiums recognizing my college and pro career means the world to me. It just blows me away. I never imagined any of this when I started chasing my dream at Auburn University.”
Thomas shocked nobody and went on to become one of the MLB’s most successful power hitters over the two decades that followed. When all was said and done, the Hall of Famer hit .301/.419/.555 with 521 home runs, 1,704 RBI, five All-Star Game selections, four Silver Slugger Awards, and nine Top 10 finishes in the AL MVP voting, including his back-to-back wins in 1993 and 1994.
“This day means everything to me,” Thomas said during the ceremony. “This is where it all started for me. Walking through that tunnel, it was surreal. This journey started as a football player and ended up being a Hall of Fame baseball player. Just never knew this was going to happen, but God has a plan for everyone, and I’m so proud of what has happened in my life and career.”
Now, Frankie will look to follow in his father’s footsteps and leave his own mark on the program.
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Featured Photo: Frankie Thomas III (@leftylilhurt)/Instagram
