GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jim Thome has viewed the MLB Draft from several different angles.
In 1989, Thome was selected by Cleveland in the 13th round out of Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Ill. He went on to hit 612 home runs with 1,699 RBIs and a career .956 OPS in 22 seasons, being voted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2018.
As a current special assistant to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, Thome provides valuable and knowledgeable eyes on prospects through his scouting, including a trip to UCLA last weekend to see Roch Cholowsky, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect for the 2026 Draft. But the most important present Draft relation for Thome has to do with his son, Landon, a talented senior infielder at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill.
Landon is ranked as the No. 42 prospect for the 2026 Draft.
“It could happen soon,” Thome told MLB.com in a recent interview on his son joining the professional baseball ranks. “It’s a joy as a father to watch him since he’s been six years old to play. And he keeps improving, he keeps getting better. As a dad, I’ve had a front-row seat. Coach [Lee] Milano there at Naz has given me an opportunity to be around, and not only for Landon, but [to] help all those kids.
“They want to learn, they want the input, and more importantly to build their confidence. At that age level, [with] baseball, you start to learn the game, and you start to kind of understand the ups and downs of the game. But being around it and offering good input I think has been so much fun.”
There’s a chance the younger Thome could be a Draft target of the White Sox, although there are still weeks and months for all the teams to work through that process. Chicago has the top overall pick in the Draft, stemming from an exciting moment at the Winter Meetings when they won the Lottery.
For those who don’t know about the 1-1 potential of Cholowsky … let’s be honest: Even the most casual of White Sox fans have gotten a little bit juiced about adding a player of his ilk. Thome liked what he saw at Jackie Robinson Field.
“Oh yeah. I think he’s a nice player. He has a really nice offensive skill set,” Thome said of Cholowsky. “As our group will continue to do our work, we’ll continue to do our homework. The best part for me personally -- going out and watching players like Roch, guys that are going to enter the Draft -- is we’ve got some really good baseball guys that are watching and giving information.
“Hopefully when that time comes in July, we can supply the information and make a really good choice. And that’s the fun of this. I’ve always said this: To go in and sit in the Draft room and sit around, you are making dreams come true. You really are. That’s the fun of the amateur level. Whether it’s high school or college, is to see these kids really working hard, trying to pursue their dreams.”
Those big league dreams are being lived out by young players on the White Sox roster like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth, Grant Taylor and Shane Smith, to name a few. Thome has watched them in action in Arizona, whether it’s in the batting cages, the backfields or in Cactus League contests.
Munetaka Murakami also has caught Thome’s attention, with the first-base addition from Japan having the potential to follow the Hall of Famer’s left-handed-slugging ways.
“He’s in a great position to hit. He has tremendous power,” Thome said of Murakami. “Like any power guy, it’s fun when you watch a guy that’s a true power guy, to see him take BP. The BPs are fun. I truly believe there’s more growth, more in there that I think he can get even better, which is scary.”
Thome also is encouraged by the development of this White Sox core Murakami is joining.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Thome said. “The energy here, the excitement around some of our new guys, and then the guys we’ve had who are gaining ground and really working hard.
“You can see their skill set elevating, getting to a point where they are knocking at the door and here, as well, doing a really good job. Fun, exciting, it’s a really great time to be a White Sox. We are really excited to see all this come to fruition.”