2021 Winter Standouts
February 23, 2018
The class of 2021 is already starting to pop up in varsity games this spring. This week, On the Hunt highlights six of those 2021 players who have presented themselves as ones to follow after great winter showings. With plenty of time to continue developing in the future, look for these six to continue to progress at a rapid rate. Included in the group are four pitchers, a catcher and an infielder. Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are represented.
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Gray Thomas RHP / 3B / Casady, OK / 2021Rankings StateRank: 8 / POS: 3
Thomas recently stood out during a PBR Oklahoma bullpen where he comfortably ran his fastball up to 86 mph. Long and lean at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds, the right-hander demonstrates a clean, repeatable delivery, and looks like he will fill out much more in the future. Featuring long limbs, Thomas currently delivers out of a ¾ slot, and showcases control of the fastball to both sides of the plate including some arm side sink. His long, loose and easy arm stroke gives way to quick hand speed out front, and he showed the impressive ability to repeat the slot at a young age. Thomas’ slider is more of a sweeping slider right now, which he also shows feel for, at 74-76, and shows signs of becoming a weapon for him in the future. His changeup is still developing somewhat at 79-81, but shows some sinking action to build on in the future. Overall, Thomas’ lower slot gives him a different look than most pitchers, and given the way it works so clean and easy, he should be able to make advancements easier in the future. Already producing higher velocities from the low slot without much effort, I suspect he will continue to make more jumps as his frame fills out, and combined with a slider that could become a swing and miss pitch in the future, Thomas is a player to follow closely moving forward. |
PLUS 5 MORE STANDOUTS BELOW: