After outfielder Alek Thomas flamed out with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers are open to giving him a shot to make the roster, and recently shared plans to fix the former top prospect.
The Dodgers acquired Thomas for minor league outfielder Jose Requena in a trade on Tuesday, May 12. Thomas was pushed off Arizona’s roster after the team promoted outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt. He’s never lived up to the hype that had him ranked above Corbin Carroll heading into the 2022 season.
Despite Thomas’ struggles as a big leaguer, manager Dave Roberts sees him as a potential fit for the Dodgers roster. “If the opportunity presents itself, (we will) get him up here,” Roberts told reporters, including Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register. “We’ve always liked him and thought highly of him.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Roster Update: Outlook for New Acquisition Alek Thomas
Thomas has struggled mightily at the plate as a big leaguer. He’s managed a 73 wRC+ across 1,485 plate appearances. It’s a large sample of well-below league-average production, though the Dodgers believe they can revive Thomas as a hitter.
“Our expectation is that we do a deep dive on his swing and try to figure out if there’s some things we can unlock,” Roberts said, relayed by Padilla.
The 26-year-old will head to Triple-A to revamp his swing. He came into the league with the expectation of providing power, but he’s failed to deliver in that department. FanGraphs projected him to have 55 game power and 55 raw power. It didn’t materialize during his time with the Diamondbacks. Thomas earned consistent playing time in his five years in Arizona. He never hit double-digit home runs. The outfielder maxed out at 39 RBI, a mark he set as a rookie in 2022. Thomas’ career-high slugging percentage came in 2023, with an uninspiring .374.
Arizona selected Thomas in the second round of the 2018 draft. He sped through the Diamondbacks’ minor league ranks, reaching Triple-A by 2021. Thomas delivered a massive 159 wRC+ in 34 games at the level. The strong minor league numbers were enough to earn him a big-league job as a 22-year-old.
How Can Thomas Improve at the Plate?
Thomas has a massive 55.2% groundball rate for his career. He’s trimmed the number down over the years, but it was still a hefty 53.6% in 2025. For context, the league average groundball rate is 44.2%. When Thomas does lift the ball, it’s usually up the middle or the other way. The outfielder has a 10.9% pulled air contact rate in the majors. He’s well below the league norm of 16.8%.
The recent swing metrics suggest Thomas is regressing as a hitter. He’s posted a career-worst 69.5 mph swing speed this season. Thomas has never been above-average in terms of swing speed, so he can’t afford to lose any more ticks there. One option to consider is moving Thomas back in the batter’s box. He’s currently standing 20.9 inches back in the box, which is extremely close to the pitcher. The league average is 27.8 inches. Considering Thomas does not swing fast, he needs all the extra time he can get.
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