A familiar name is following in his father’s footsteps by joining the White Sox organization.
It was one of the worst-kept secrets that the White Sox had a heavy interest in Landon Thome, son of Hall-of-Famer Jim, with their second-round pick. Still, Illinois’ Gatorade Player of the Year fell right into the Sox’s lap, and they made him their selection with the Comp A 34th overall pick.
Thome, 18, is one of the better pure hitters in this draft class, which should come as no surprise based on his bloodline. The Nazareth Academy standout has excellent pitch recognition and plate discipline, and combines good bat-to-ball skills with plus bat speed for scouts to dream on him hitting for both average and power. Defensively, he has been primarily a shortstop throughout his young career, but most scouts project him to move off that position as he matures.
Here are MLB Pipeline’s tool grades for Thome:
- Hit: 55
- Power: 55
- Run: 45
- Arm: 50
- Field: 50
- Overall: 50
And here is how MLB Pipeline scouts view the newest member of the organization:
The son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who’s also an assistant coach for his Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, Ill.) team, Landon is one of the best all-around hitters in the 2026 high school crop. Some scouts were more impressed with him last spring than his teammate Jaden Fauske, who signed with the White Sox for $2,997,500 as the top pick in the second round. Gatorade’s Illinois prep player of the year, he could go as early as the late first round.
Thome turns his left-handed swing loose with maximum intent but has the pitch recognition and bat-to-ball skills to make a lot of hard contact. His stroke has loft geared to drive balls in the air and he has tapped into more power as he has improved his strength and bat speed. His pure hitting ability may stand out a little more than his pop, but both grade as at least solid.
Thome has improved his speed, becoming an average runner and stealing 54 bases in 56 attempts this spring, though he could lose a step as he continues to fill out. He’s a reliable defender with sure hands at shortstop, but his relative lack of quickness and average arm won’t allow him to stay there at his next step, whether that be college at Florida State or pro ball. After working with Jake Cronenworth during the winter, he’s moving and throwing better, giving him a better chance of playing second or third base. Scouts praise his baseball IQ and makeup.
This is an exciting pick based on name alone, but Thome was widely seen as a borderline first-round talent, so snagging before Round 2 is a win for the Sox. He will likely seek a signing bonus north of the $2,446,100 slot value they have for the pick, but that should be no issue given their bonus pool flexibility stemming from landing the first overall pick. There should be no questions about whether he will sign, but when he will make his MLB debut is to be determined.
The Sox sent both Billy Carlson and Jaden Fauske to their Arizona Complex after joining the organization, and pushed their affiliate debut to this season for the Low-A Kanapolis Cannon Ballers. Thome may follow the same blueprint this time around.
Follow us on social media @SoxOn35th and @PipelineTo35th for more updates throughout the 2025 MLB Draft!
Featured Photo: Landon Thome/Instagram
