Tahnaj Thomas has always been a wildcard type of prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Armed with one of the best fastballs in the system, his upside seemed tremendous when he was acquired from Cleveland in 2018. He was also new to pitching so the raw potential was also there.
Thomas has struggled to adapt to the mound, mainly with his control, and going into 2021 made the shift to the bullpen to give his fastball a better chance to play.
It seemed like an easy solution, with Thomas capable of reaching 100 mph. His fastball is perfect for a reliever role, but with his struggles with control, has had to dial it back in order to command it.
Now with losing some of the velocity, there is more pressure to develop his secondary pitches, since he couldn’t rely on overpowering hitters with his ...
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If he was gong to be so great he would not have exposed to the rule five draft that didn’t happen this year. There is still hope for improvement and pitch development but if it does not happen, he again will be draft eligible next year.
Thanks Anthony, Thomas has always been a “hope”, but that definitely has to include the triple digit FB. The breaking pitch is a work in progress, and to be developing that type of pitch at an upper level (AA) is difficult, but the results are decent. Just turned 23 and he is still a K/IP reliever even without the 100+ gas
Loved the video, but have to admit I really liked the work of the Catcher in the video. Shockley?
My God, what did they do to him?
Took the words out of my mouth. Go ahead and just neuter the guy already.
Hate to be Debbie Downer, and I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see velocity, movement, or command of a viable bullpen arm. Fastball doesn’t move enough for a low 90’s offering, nor does he spot it well enough.
Maybe give him a two-seamer to work in conjunction with the slider would help. And if I were him, I’d definitely try to find someone to work with this winter to rev up the horsepower in his arm again. Maybe whomever Keller used?
It would be nice to hit on one of these lottery tickets!
Always found thomas to be an intriguing name, but I just dont know that theres enough upside there if he needs to sit 92-93 to have control