2012 Draft Profile: - SP Brandon Thomas

I continue my series of draft prospects to keep an eye on.

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Thomas plays in the Georgia Tech outfield and hit .307/.471/.429 in 205-ABs last season. Also had 36 walks while striking out only 42 times.

We consider Brandon one of out breakout players in the upcoming season.

I asked Brandon how he is preparing for the 2012 season:

Hey Mack.   Thanks for the message. I have enjoyed reading through your site! There will be a lot of preparation for the upcoming season. Physical preparation first, at Georgia Tech we have a great strength training program that our whole team follows 5 days a week until the season starts. In addition to this strength training, I always like to work hard on speed, acceleration, core strength, and flexibility through different drills and workouts that I have picked up from a friend (Tony Villani @ XPE Sports) in high school. Baseball wise, I'm looking forward to getting more at bats this fall from both sides and continuing to develop a great feel from both sides. Specifically, being consistent with my lower half which will allow my swing to be consistent and functional.   Best,  Brandon Thomas

Some additional info on Brandon:

http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/thomas_brandon00.html - 2010 -  Played in 32 games and made 24 starts - 23 in left field and one at DH - Batted .262 with 18 runs, four doubles, three triples and 13 RBI ... Was 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts ... Went 2-for-2 in his first two career at-bats, after entering the game late in a 20-3 win over Missouri State (2/20) ... Had a pinch-hit single against Xavier (2/27) ... Made his first career start in the second game against Maryland, picking up two hits including his first career double (3/20) ... Started his first game in left field going 1-for-2 with three runs scored against Mercer (3/23) ... Was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and his first career RBI the next day against the Bears (3/24) ... Collected two hits and a career-high four RBI in a comeback win over No. 17 North Carolina in the series finale ... His two-RBI triple sparked a five-run ninth inning rally for the Jackets ... Had three hits, a triple and four RBI in the series against No. 16 Clemson (4/16-18).

http://diamonddirectors.com/blog/2010/11/spotlight-becoming-a-switch-hitter-with-ga-techs-brandon-thomas - Some of life’s most important lessons can be learned on the baseball field, as GA Tech outfielder Brandon Thomas found out when he wanted to become a switch hitter. At age 16, Brandon had already been working with CJ Stewart at Diamond Directors for three years. He’d honed his natural athletic ability and gained a level of baseball skill to be proud of. One day, he approached CJ and told him that he wanted to add switch hitting to his list of accomplishments. CJ warned Brandon that it wouldn’t be easy, that becoming a reliable switch hitter would be full of ups and downs, but Brandon was set on making it happen. Before training him as a switch hitter, CJ required Brandon to agree to commit 100% to making it a reality, and Brandon did.

6-23-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com  - Georgia Tech SO OF Brandon Thomas - .322/.434/.449 – 38 BB/40 K – 20/23 SB – 205 AB - It’s easy to see why Thomas has drawn favorably comparisons (by me) to former Georgia Tech outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Danny Payne. A quick rundown of his biggest positives: above-average range in a corner spot, an arm strong enough for right field, good speed that he knows how to use, gap power with a chance for more, excellent athleticism, and a pro ready body (6-3, 205 pounds). It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint a good prospect a year ahead of the draft, but tools like that combined with really strong production at an outstanding college program make this whole prognostication thing a lot easier.