The Cleveland Guardians, barring a surprise, will kick off the 2025 MLB season with Lane Thomas as their center fielder.
The 2024 trade acquisition is entering the final year of his contract before becoming a free agent after the World Series.
What can the Guardians expect from him?
Thomas is universally projected to finish with somewhere between 16 and 19 home runs, 21 and 26 stolen bases, and a wRC+ ranging between 98 and 107.
These numbers were pulled from multiple projection systems such as Depth Charts, Steamer, ZiPS, ATC, The Bat, and OOPSY available at Thomas’ player page at FanGraphs.
Basically, Thomas is projected to be a slightly above-average hitter with the exception of OOPSY and its 98 wRC+ forecast.
For reference, he finished last season with a 99 wRC+, 15 round-trippers, and 32 stolen bases.
Essentially, projection systems believe he has a bit more power than what he showed last year, but don’t think he will run as much.
It’s important to remember that once Thomas moved past that adjustment period after landing in Cleveland (30 wRC+ in August), he was a beast in September (137 wRC+) and the postseason (124 wRC+).
His defense in center field is not Gold Glove-caliber, but he gets the job done most of the time.
So what will fans see from the 29-year-old this upcoming campaign?
They can count on league-average offense with the potential for a bit more than that; more homers than your average center fielder, and probably 20-25 stolen bases.
If he performs well and the Guardians can develop an internal solution for the position, you can be sure that they will flip Thomas to another team in exchange for a prospect.
If Thomas, on the other hand, remains the only viable center fielder on the roster, the Guards will have no choice but to keep him and let his contract expire.
An extension, while possible, is not that likely.
NEXT: Analyst Makes A Concerning Prediction About Guardians
