Alek Thomas, center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, proved to be a defensive stalwart in the latter part of the previous season, making it challenging for fly balls to find safe landing spots in Chase Field’s spacious outfield.
Despite his impressive defensive stats, including five defensive runs saved and six outs above average, Thomas felt his 2023 season didn’t start as strongly as he had hoped. He believes that not capitalizing on some challenging plays early in the season impacted his overall performance and metrics.
“For the most part, the mistakes I made were very simple,” Thomas told Arizona Sports. “Like, get the ball first and then throw, or not rush. Early in the season, my legs weren’t totally underneath me, but that’s not an excuse. So I felt like I was a little slow during the start of this season. So it’s being able to be 100% full speed early on in the season and getting the balls that I normally get to. I want my July, August, September reads to be there in late March, April, May. I want it to be all the time, not just 70% of the season.”
The 23-year-old was named a Gold Glove finalist for the second straight year, but similar to his rookie 2022 season, he came up short. The reigning NL Gold Glove center fielder is Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies, who led all center fielders with 15 OAA and 19 DRS.
It’s a goal of Thomas’ to win multiple Gold Glove awards — something no D-backs outfielder has accomplished since Gerardo Parra in 2013 — and he feels he’ll get there if he plays up to his standards from the jump.
“Taking batting practice seriously, good reps and also getting with my strength coaches and getting on resistant bands and challenging myself, trying to push through to expand my range,” Thomas said.
Alek Thomas makes another highlight catch in center field. That ball was hit 408 feet, per Statcast. pic.twitter.com/3i3iR5InGD
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) September 20, 2023
Thomas plays on a team that prioritizes defense, evident from having Gold Glove winners like first baseman Christian Walker and catcher Gabriel Moreno last year, and benefits from the guidance of esteemed outfield coach Dave McKay.
Arizona stood out as a top defensive team last season, boasting the fewest errors in baseball. Thomas played a crucial role in strengthening the team up the middle alongside Moreno and infielders Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte.
“I think the intensity of his prep and his willingness to make everybody around him better is going to help him, as well,” manager Torey Lovullo said of Thomas. “So I think there’s some growth for every player, and even though he’s elite, I challenged him to continue getting better.”
Although Thomas missed some spring training games due to right wrist soreness, he returned to the lineup against the San Diego Padres and demonstrated his defensive prowess with a sliding catch on a low sinking liner to his right.
During the offseason, the D-backs bolstered their outfield depth by acquiring Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk, and re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Corbin Carroll may also see time in center field, as could Grichuk once he recovers from ankle surgery.
Despite these additions, Lovullo expressed a desire to see Thomas in a more everyday role to anchor the outfield. To achieve this and enhance his chances of winning Gold Glove awards, Thomas will need to continue progressing offensively and facing left-handed pitchers.
“We’re all in on him improving day-by-day, and he accepts coaching, so you should see him continue to improve throughout the course of his career,” Lovullo said. “Specifically, against left-handed pitchers, we want to see him improve in that area and be consistent with his barrel awareness, track the baseball, slug when he can, put down the bat when he can, and take a walk.”
