The Pittsburgh Pirates took outfielder Brandon Thomas in the fourth round with the 136th overall pick. Thomas played for Georgia Tech, spending most of his time in left field, although that was due to fellow 2012 draft prospect Kyle Wren playing center field.
Thomas has plus speed and can play center field. He’s a switch hitter who has average power at best, with a good chance for value if he can stick in center or fulfill that average power in the pros. In 2012, Thomas hit for a .360/.481/.550 line in 211 at-bats, with five homers. He led Georgia Tech in batting average and on-base percentage, thanks to a team high 37 walks. He also tied for the best slugging percentage on the team. He showed good plate patience, with a 20.4% strikeout rate and a 14.2% walk rate.
Slot price for the fourth round pick is $336,700. The 6′ 3″, 205 pound outfielder probably won’t come at a discount. He was the 89th best prospect in Baseball America’s rankings, and was projected to go in the first two rounds. He was previously drafted in the 37th round in the 2009 draft. I had Thomas in the final tier of my top 100 rankings.
