When the Clevelad Guardians brought in outfielder Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline, experts praised the acquisition.
Thomas, after all, had hit 28 home runs, stolen 20 bases and posted a .783 OPS last year in the Nation’s capital.
But the first few weeks were rough for Thomas in his new home.
Even today, after his torrid stretch in his last 21 games (more on that in a minute), his OPS in Cleveland is a mediocre .689 in 41 games.
The player, the front office and even the manager were criticized for bringing him to Cleveland.
But all he needed was time.
Time to get acquainted with a new city and new teammates; and time to adjust to a new league.
In his last 21 games, Thomas has looked like an All-Star.
“Lane Thomas over his last 21 games: 23-67, 12R, 7(2B), 4HR, 16RBI, 3BB, 3SB, .343 AVG,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Lane Thomas over his last 21 games:
23-67 12R 7(2B) 4HR 16RBI 3BB 3SB .343 AVG#ForTheLand
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 15, 2024
Finally, the Guardians are reaping the benefits of their patience.
Any other contender would have benched Thomas after a handful of games.
But president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and manager Stephen Vogt know what they are doing.
Yes, Thomas looked bad for a while, but they waited him out and he is now virtually carrying the lineup.
We are not talking about a five-game stretch: he has been dominating for 21 contests, and there are no signs of him slowing down at the moment.
For the season as a whole, Thomas is slashing .247/.319/.405 with 12 home runs, 32 steals and a .723 OPS.
Those numbers are on the rise.
In the end, bringing him was a shrewd move by the Guards.
NEXT: Guardians Rookie Finding Success Thanks To 1 Pitch
