By WMBD TV
CHICAGO (WMBD) — The Chicago White Sox, with their 34th pick in the opening round of the MLB draft, selected Landon Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome.
The 18-year-old played for Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park. His dad, Jim, was an assistant coach for his team.
Landon was named the 2026 Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois, in which he helped lead Nazareth Academy to a 25-9 record, according to Gatorade’s website.
He had a .535 batting average with 57 runs scored, 29 RBIs, seven home runs, and eight triples, the website said. He attempted 50 stolen bases on the season, only getting thrown out one time, the website said.
According to the MLB.com, Landon is committed to playing next year at Florida State University.
The website said, “Thome turns his left-handed swing loose with maximum intent but has the pitch recognition and bat-to-ball skills to make a lot of hard contact. His stroke has loft geared to drive balls in the air and he has tapped into more power as he has improved his strength and bat speed. His pure hitting ability may stand out a little more than his pop, but both grade as at least solid.”
His father, Jim, is a Peoria native, born in the city in 1970 and graduating from Limestone High School in 1988. As well as playing for his high school team, he played for multiple major league teams, including the White Sox from 2006 to 2009. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
According to MLB.com, Jim had 612 home runs while batting .267 across his 22-year career.
During the first round, the White Sox, who had the first pick in the draft, selected Roch Cholowsky, a shortshop from UCLA.
WMBD TV first reported this story. You can read the original story online at CIProud.com.
