2025 Fantasy Baseball: Lane Thomas Profile, Preview, Predictions
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After a breakout season with the Washington Nationals in 2023 and some success over the first half of last season, Lane Thomas was missing in action after a midseason draft to the Guardians. Will his bat rebound in 2025?
Play No. 32 of 2024: Lane Thomas crushes a go-ahead grand slam in a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 💥 pic.twitter.com/uSPU5ZtEAp
— MLB (@MLB) December 5, 2024
OF – Lane Thomas, WAS (ADP – 189.3)
Washington had Thomas in their starting lineup almost every day in 2023. He rewarded their trust with career highs in nearly every category, giving the fantasy market a winning value addition to their teams. He scored an incredible 50% of the time when on base via a hit or walk, with a spike in his contact batting average (.372). Thomas played much better at home (.312/51/15/14 over 298 at-bats) and before the All-Star break (.302/41/14/37/12 over 354 at-bats).
After a slow start to last season over 87 at-bats (.184/6/2/10/11), Thomas landed on the injured list for 33 days with a left knee injury. He regained his form over his next 55 games (.282 over 213 at-bats with 36 runs, six home runs, 30 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases) before getting traded to the Guardians.
Unfortunately, his swing was a liability in August (.143/9/0/3/3 over 77 at-bats). He hit seven home runs over the final month with 13 runs, 20 RBIs, and one stolen base. Thomas was at his best against left-handed pitching (.302 with 18 runs, four home runs, 16 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases over 126 at-bats).
His strikeout rate was 34.8% with Cleveland, compared to 26.0% on the year. He finished with about a league-average walk rate (8.3). Thomas ranked 118th in exit velocity (88.8 mph) and 108th in hard-hit rate (40.6). His launch angle (17.0) was a career-high, but he posted a four-year low in HR/FB rate (10.9).
Fantasy Outlook: Thomas surprised in 2023 while giving away two months of stats last year, one due to an injury and the other via confidence issues after his midseason trade. He attempted 40 steals with the Nationals (they led the NL in stolen bases – 223) while only getting the green light six times (4-for-6) with the Guardians.
If Thomas plays better in 2025 and hits one slot away from Jose Ramirez, his value in runs or potential RBIs should rise. He has the baseline of a .250 hitter with a floor of 20 home runs and 20 steals with 550 at-bats. He is mispriced in the early draft season, creating a buying opportunity.
RANKINGS
Top 5 Catchers | Catchers 6-10 | Catchers 11-15
Top 5 First Basemen | First Basemen 6-10 | First Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Second Basemen | Second Basemen 6-10 | Second Basemen 11-15
Top 5 Shortstops | Shortstops 6-10 | Shortstops 11-15
Top 5 Third Basemen | Third Basemen 6-10 | Third Basemen 11-15
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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